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AGE-RELATED POWER, FORCE, AND VELOCITY IN ELITE MASTERS OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTERS

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Lower extremity peak power (PP) declines with age, including among masters running, and track and field athletes. PP in Masters Olympic weightlifters has not been examined, nor have velocity (VPP) and force (FPP) at peak power been explored. Purpose: To determine sex differences and age-related associations in PP, FPP and VPP in older adult (≥60 years) Masters Olympic weightlifters. METHODS: Forty-two qualifiers for the 2022 World Masters Weightlifting Championships (60-86 years) including 23 women (age 64.7± 2.9 years) and 19 men (68.0± 7.5 years) completed three maximal effort countermovement jumps (CMJ) with 1 minute rest periods between trials. During each jump, vertical ground reaction forces were collected from four force platforms and were used to compute PP (W/kg), FPP (N/kg), and VPP (m/s). Nonparametric sex comparisons (median [inter-quartile range]) and associations with age were conducted. RESULTS: Males demonstrated significantly higher PP (33.5[10.3]) vs 27.9[5.1], P=.003), FPP (17.5[1.5] vs 16.5[1.6], P=.004), and VPP (1.9[.4] vs 1.7[.2], P=.009) compared to the females. Significant associations between age with PP (rs=-.78, P<.001), FPP (rs=-.49, P=.035) and VPP (rs=-.85, P<.001) were revealed for males. For females, VPP was significantly associated with age (rs=-.446 P=.029), whereas the associations with PP (rs=-.36, P=.096) and FPP (rs=-.18, P=.405) were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Weaker relationships for females than males suggesting less decline in all three variables for females compared to males. Although males demonstrated greater PP, FPP, FPP, the decline for males was greater than the females. Age demonstrated a stronger association with velocity for both sexes, signaling a faster decline in the velocity component of power compared to force. Future research should consider sex and age associations with the eccentric components contributing to CMJ performance.

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