Assessment of asymmetry at different intensities between conventional and paralympic powerlifting athletes

Rafael Luiz Mesquita Souza; Felipe J Aidar; Rodrigo Villar; Gianpiero Greco; Leonardo Dos Santos; Luca Poli; Jefferson Lima de Santana; Roberto Carvutto; Dihogo Gama de Matos; Georgian Badicu; Ana Filipa Silva; Filipe Manuel Clemente; Hadi Nobari; Francesco Fischetti; Stefania Cataldi

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16211

Assessment of asymmetry at different intensities between conventional and paralympic powerlifting athletes

Heliyon. 2023 May 19;9(5):e16211. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e16211. eCollection 2023 May.

Authors

Rafael Luiz Mesquita Souza^{1

2}, Felipe J Aidar^{1

2

3

4

5}, Rodrigo Villar⁵, Gianpiero Greco⁶, Leonardo Dos Santos^{1

2}, Luca Poli⁶, Jefferson Lima de Santana⁵, Roberto Carvutto⁶, Dihogo Gama de Matos⁵, Georgian Badicu⁷, Ana Filipa Silva^{8

9

10}, Filipe Manuel Clemente^{11

12}, Hadi Nobari¹³, Francesco Fischetti⁶, Stefania Cataldi⁶

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Program of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), São Cristovão 49100-000, Brazil.
² Group of Studies and Research of Performance, Sport, Health and Paralympic Sports (GEPEPS), Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), São Cristovão 49100-000, Brazil.
³ Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), São Cristovão 49100-000, Brazil.
⁴ Graduate Program of Physiological Science, Federal University of Sergipe (UFS), São Cristovão 49100-000, Brazil.
⁵ Cardiorespiratory & Physiology of Exercise Research Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.
⁶ Department of Translational Biomedicine and Neuroscience (DiBraiN), University of Study of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy.
⁷ Department of Physical Education and Special Motricity, Transilvania University of Brasov, 500068 Brasov, Romania.
⁸ Sports and Leisure School, Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun'Álvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
⁹ Research Center in Sports Performance, Recreation, Innovation and Technology (SPRINT), 4960-320 Melgaço, Portugal.
¹⁰ The Research Centre in Sports Sciences, Health Sciences and Human Development (CIDESD), 5001-801 Vila Real, Portugal.
¹¹ Escola Superior Desporto e Lazer, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Rua Escola Industrial e Comercial de Nun'Álvares, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
¹² Instituto de Telecomunicações, Delegação da Covilhã, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal.
¹³ Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, 10003 Cáceres, Spain.

Abstract

Powerlifting competitions require consistent and symmetric lifting of heavy loads and maximal effort, in which, asymmetric lifting results in trial invalidation. Symmetry during this very high intensity movement is determinant to athletes' performance and success in competitions. This study aimed to compare the asymmetry between Conventional Powerlifting athletes (CP) and Paralympic (PP) athletes at intensities of 45 and 80% 1RM before and after a training session. Twenty-two male athletes (11 CP: 29.84 ± 4.21 and 11 PP: 30.81 ± 8.05 years old) participated in this study. Mean Propulsive Velocity (MPV), Maximum Velocity (Vmax) and Power during the concentric and eccentric phases were evaluated at 45%-1RM before and after a training session. For the intensity of 80%-1RM, MPV, Vmax and Power were measured in the first and last series (5 series of 5 repetitions: 5X5) of a training session. PP athletes demonstrated lower velocity and greater symmetry at 45%-1RM, but higher velocity and less asymmetry at 80%-1RM, when compared to CP. The data indicated that PP athletes tend to be slower at lower intensities, faster at higher intensities in absolute values, and have greater symmetry than CP.

Keywords: Biomechanical; Disabled persons; Strength.