Kineziologija, Vol. 57 No. 2, 2025.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
https://doi.org/10.26582/k.57.2.7
Age is a poor predictor of maximal strength in competitive powerlifters
Oren Wilf
orcid.org/0009-0004-0785-3011
; The Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, Netanya, Israel
*
Ayelet Dunsky
orcid.org/0000-0002-9228-7007
; The Levinsky-Wingate Academic College, Netanya, Israel
* Dopisni autor.
Sažetak
Age-related declines in muscular strength are well-documented; however, less is known about the longterm trajectories of individuals engaged in consistent high-level resistance training. This study examined the relationship between age and maximal strength in competitive powerlifters with competition records spanning multiple decades. Data were obtained from 61 powerlifters (45 men, 16 women) who participated in events sanctioned by drug-tested federations and had results both before the age of 40 and after the age of 60. A total of 3,379 competition entries were analyzed. Changes in absolute and relative strength, as well as in individual lifts (squat, bench press, and deadlift), were assessed using linear regression. Age explained a modest proportion of variance across all metrics (0.4%-15.6%). Among men, significant annual declines were observed in deadlift (−0.33% per year, p<.01), relative strength (−0.32% per year, p<.01), and squat (−0.17% per year, p<.01), with no significant changes in bench press or absolute strength. Among women, relative strength (−0.06% per year, p<.01) and squat (−0.11% per year, p<.01) showed small but significant declines, while bench press performance increased (+0.27% per year, p<.01). The rate and pattern of decline were steeper in men. Additional differences were observed between lifts, with deadlifts showing the steepest drop. Compared to non-athletic populations, the observed decline was substantially lower, indicating a protective effect of long-term resistance training. These findings suggest that chronological age alone is a poor predictor of strength decline among well-trained older adults. Moreover, the observed exercise- and sex-specific patterns underscore the need for stratified analyses in aging research. The small number of female participants limited statistical power, highlighting the importance of future studies with larger samples.
Ključne riječi
resistance training; performance decline; sex differences; predictive modeling; longitudinal analysis
Hrčak ID:
341126
URI
Datum izdavanja:
31.12.2025.
Posjeta: 1.363 *