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The majority of the research to date on weightlifting has focused on men competitors. This study attempted to bridge the sex-based gap evident in the scientific literature. The performances of 10 women weightlifters competing in the 1999 United States national championships were analyzed. The performance of the athletes competing in the 69-kg class was recorded and analyzed using a Peak5 2D Motion Analysis system. The purpose of this study was 3-fold: (a) analyze the horizontal bar displacement of women weightlifters, (b) analyze key kinematic variables related to performance, and (c) compare the power outputs of the first, second, and total pulls in the snatch. Less than half (<50%) of the snatch attempts demonstrated by the women weightlifters in this study displayed the optimal toward-away-toward horizontal bar trajectory reported elsewhere. The women in this study demonstrated greater drop displacement and drop under times than those previously reported for men weightlifters. They also demonstrated lesser maximal vertically velocities of the barbell than those reported for world class women weightlifters. These women weightlifters demonstrated statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) during each phase of the snatch, and total power output values were comparable to values previously reported. The results of this study suggest that women demonstrate performance characteristics that differ subtly from those reported in men weightlifters. Knowledge of performance measures during the snatch may help coaches and athletes more fully refine the training leading to competition.

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Judge, LW, Urbina, LJ, Hoover, DL, Craig, BW, Judge, LM, Leitzelar, BM, Pearson, DR, Holtzclaw, KA, and Bellar, DM. The impact of competitive trait anxiety on collegiate powerlifting performance. J Strength Cond Res 30(9): 2399-2405, 2016-The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between competitive trait anxiety measures and powerlifting (PL) performance. Thirty-six collegiate powerlifters on club teams from 3 universities were recruited during a competition (men = 26, women = 10; age = 19.9 ± 1.5 years; height = 172.5 ± 8.6 cm; weight = 81.4 ± 21.0 kg). The athletes were distributed across weight classes for collegiate PL (47.6 kg: 1; 51.7 kg: 1; 54.9 kg: 1; 59.8 kg: 3; 67.1 kg: 2; 74.8 kg: 7; 82.1 kg: 4; 89.8 kg: 9; 99.8 kg: 5; super heavyweight: 3). A survey containing questions about PL performance history and the 15-item Sport Competition Anxiety Test (SCAT) were administered to the participants before competing. The SCAT total was negatively correlated (r = -0.397; p = 0.02) to the athletes' percentage of best total achieved in the competition (actual performance total/best comp total × 100). Of the individual lifts, the SCAT score was negatively correlated to the personal best for bench press (r = -0.368; p = 0.03) and deadlift (r = -0.317, p = 0.05), but did not significantly correlate for squat (r = -0.182, p = 0.27). These results indicate a negative correlation between the SCAT score and athletes' personal best totals in PL. Increased SCAT scores were associated with decreased personal best PL totals. The results suggest that competitive trait anxiety may have negatively impacted performance and that some PL athletes may benefit from interventions aimed at decreasing anxiety before and during performance.

Hydration plays an important role in performance, injury prevention, and recovery for athletes engaged in competitive sports. Therefore, it is important that strength and conditioning coaches understand an athlete’s hydration needs to prevent illness and enhance performance. The purpose of this study was to identify hydration knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of collegiate track and field throwers, as well as identify barriers to hydration and sources of nutritional information. The Rehydration and Refueling in Collegiate Track and Field Throwers Survey was sent to 271 track and field thrower coaches with a request to forward the email to current track and field throwers. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated regarding knowledge, attitude, and behavior scores among the participants in this sample. Differences among response patterns were assessed via Chi-square analysis. Alpha level was set at p = .05. Results demonstrated that 97.3% (n = 287) of respondents knew that dehydration would decrease performance, but 50.5% (n = 149) erroneously believed thirst was the best indicator of dehydration. Chi-square analysis demonstrated a significant difference in reported values between participants who intended to eat a performance-enhancing diet and those who consumed less fluid than recomended values (207 – 295 m)l in the 2-3 hours prior to competition (χ2 = 10.87, p < .05). Pearson correlation coefficients demonstrated a large association between knowledge and behavior (r = .70, p < .05), a medium association between knowledge and attitude (r = .41, p < .05), and a small association between attitude and behavior (r = .21, p < .05). This suggests that strength and conditioning coaches and health staff need to educate and monitor hydration behaviors among collegiate track and field throwers to optimize performance.