Resumen de Comparison of Isolated Lumbar Extension Strength in Competitive and Noncompetitive Powerlifters, and Recreationally Trained Men
Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis, Paulo Gentil, James P. Fisher, James Steele
Low-back strength has been shown to significantly impact performance in a plethora of sports. Aside from its effect on sport performance, low-back strength is strongly associated with low-back pain. A sport that heavily involves the lower-back musculature is powerlifting. This study looked to compare isolated lumbar extension (ILEX) strength in competitive and noncompetitive powerlifters, and recreationally trained men. Thirteen competitive powerlifters (CPL group; 31.9 +/- 7.6 years; 173.4 +/- 5.5 cm; 91.75 +/- 18.7 kg), 10 noncompetitive powerlifters (NCPL group; 24 +/- 3.5 years; 179 +/- 4.8 cm; 92.39 +/- 15.73 kg), and 36 recreationally trained men (RECT group; 24.9 +/- 6.5 years; 178.5 +/- 5.2 cm; 81.6 +/- 10.0 kg) were tested for ILEX. Isolated lumbar extension strength was measured at every 12[degrees] throughout subject's full range of motion (ROM) and expressed as the following: "strength index (SI)" calculated as the area under a torque curve from multiple angle testing, average torque produced across each joint angle (AVG), and maximum torque produced at a single angle (MAX). Deadlift and squat strength were measured using 1 repetition maximum for the competitive and noncompetitive powerlifters. The following powerlifting characteristics were recorded for the competitive and noncompetitive powerlifters: primary deadlift stance, primary squat bar position, use of belt, use of performance-enhancing drugs, and use of exercises to target the lower-back musculature. Significant between-group effects were found for subject characteristics (age, stature, body mass, and ROM). However, analysis of covariance with subject characteristics as covariates found no significant between-group effects for SI (p = 0.824), AVG (p = 0.757), or MAX (p = 0.572). In conclusion, this study suggests that powerlifting training likely has little impact on conditioning of the lumbar extensors.
