Summary of an article surveying U.S. Olympic weightlifting Masters athletes on their training habits, injuries and other complaints.
Who
958 Olympic weightlifters (521 women, 437 men) aged 35 and above in the calendar year 2020 registered with the USA Weightlifting (USA).
Design
Survey with 30.6% response rate (958 responses out of 3216 invited).
Outcome measures/tests
- training habits and experience
- physical, psychological and health complaints influencing training
- live factors influencing training
- for women: pregnancy, menstruation and menopausal complaints that influence training
Main results
Women
On average, women usually have a coach and train in weightlifting or crossfit gym for 1-2 hours. Younger women train 5 times per week and reduce their traing to 4 and then 3 days when they get older. They either have more than 5 years of experience or just one year. As an additional activity, they choose crossfit or some form of cardio training when they are younger, and later (age 60+) substitute crossfit for brisk walking.
Shoulder, back and knee injuries affect the training the most. Stress and sleep are the biggest complaints, along with autoimmune disease, work and family concerns.
35-44 age group
The biggest group. Training 5 days a week for 1.5-2 hours a day under a coach in the qym. Most have 1, 3 or more than 5 years of experience, and do grossfit or some form of cardio training additionally to weightlifting.
Shoulder complaints, stress, respiratory disease, work demands and child care are the biggest concerns affecting training. Possibly up to 13% of these athletes are affected by pergnancy, menstruation or menopausal symptoms.
Training program
Training days
Training duration
Training location
Years of experience
Other activites during week
Physical complaints*
Psychological complaints*
Health complaints*
Life factors*
Pregnancy*
Menstruation*
Menopausal complaints*
Training program
coach 88.9
Training duration
1.5-2 hours 40.9
Training location
weightlifting gym 47.4
Years of experience
1 year 21.1
Other activites during week
crossfit 42.6
Physical complaints*
shoulder 23.8
Psychological complaints*
stress 21.2
Health complaints*
respiratory disease 1.9
Life factors*
work demands 60.4
Menopausal complaints*
2.3
Training program
own program 6.7
Training duration
1-1.5 hours 32.3
Training location
crossfit gym 46.3
Years of experience
3 years 16.9
Other activites during week
cardio/running/swimming 40.0
Physical complaints*
back 15.9
Psychological complaints*
sleep 18.3
Health complaints*
chronic disease 1.5
Life factors*
child care 14.2
45-59 age group
Training 1.5-2 hours, 4 days per week under a coach in the qym. Have more than 5 or 1 year of experience and do crossfit or brisk walking as an addional activity.
Shoulder, sleep and stess, cancer, autoimmune disease, and work demands are the biggest complaints affecting the training. Up to 14% of these athletes were affected by pregnancy, menstruation or menopausal symptoms.
Training program
Training days
Training duration
Training location
Years of experience
Other activites during week
Physical complaints*
Psychological complaints*
Health complaints*
Life factors*
Pregnancy*
Menstruation*
Menopausal complaints*
Training program
coach 85.0
Training duration
1.5-2 hours 37.5
Training location
weightlifting gym 47.0
Years of experience
>5 27.6
Other activites during week
crossfit 45.5
Physical complaints*
shoulder 31.5
Psychological complaints*
sleep 20.2
Health complaints*
cancer 2.6
Life factors*
work demands 45.7
Menopausal complaints*
12.5
Training program
own program 10.0
Training duration
1-1.5 hours 31.0
Training location
crossfit gym 42.0
Years of experience
1 year 20.8
Other activites during week
brisk walking 40.5
Physical complaints*
back 19.5
Psychological complaints*
stress 16.2
Health complaints*
autoimmune disease 2.6
Life factors*
family concerns 12.1
60+ age group
The smallest group (~1/7 of the 35-44 age group). Almost all of the athletes have a coach. They train 3 times per week, for 1-2 hours in the gym. They have more than 5 years or 1 year of experience and some kind of cardio training or brisk walking additionally to their weightlifting training.
Shoulder and knee complaints, and work demands are the biggest factors affecting training. Pregnancy, menstruation and menopausal symptoms do not affect this group.
Training program
Training days
Training duration
Training location
Years of experience
Other activites during week
Physical complaints*
Psychological complaints*
Health complaints*
Life factors*
Pregnancy*
Menstruation*
Menopausal complaints*
Training program
coach 98.0
Training duration
1.5-2 hours 43.1
Training location
weightlifting gym 52.9
Years of experience
>5 years 32.7
Other activites during week
brisk walking 47.1
Physical complaints*
shoulder 31.4
Psychological complaints*
stress 6.2
Health complaints*
cancer 2.1
Life factors*
work demands 35.3
Training program
own program 2.0
Training duration
1-1.5 hours 35.3
Training location
crossfit gym 49.0
Years of experience
1 year 26.5
Other activites during week
cardio/running/simming 45.1
Physical complaints*
knee 26.0
Psychological complaints*
sleep 4.2
Health complaints*
autoimmune/digestive/chronic disease 2.1
Life factors*
acess to facility 7.8
Men
On average, men are training 3-4 times per week (5 in the youngest group) according to coach or their own programming. They train 1-2 hours a day in a gym or home as they get older. 40% of men have more than 5 years of experience, and 20% 1 year. As an additional activity, they choose crossfit or some form of cardio training when they are younger, and later (age 60+) substitute crossfit for brisk walking.
Shoulder complains were affecting training the most, followed by knees and back. Sleep, cardiovascular complaints and work demands are affecting training the most.
35-44 age group
The biggest group. Most athletes have a coach, train 4 times per week for 1-2 hours in the gym. They have more than 5 or 1 year of experience, and do crossfit or some kind of cardio as additional activities to their weightlifting training.
Shoulder, sleep, autoimmune complaints and work demands affect their training the most.
Training program
Training days
Training duration
Training location
Years of experience
Other activites during week
Physical complaints*
Psychological complaints*
Health complaints*
Life factors*
Pregnancy*
Menstruation*
Menopausal complaints*
Training program
coach 68.5
Training duration
1.5-2 hours 41.3
Training location
weighlifting 50.5
Years of experience
>5 years 31.1
Other activites during week
cardio/running/swimming 41.8
Physical complaints*
knees 24.2
Psychological complaints*
stress 13.8
Health complaints*
cardiovascular 1.7
Life factors*
work demands 37.0
Pregnancy*
own program 22.8
Menopausal complaints*
1-1.5 hours 35.9
Training program
crossfit gym 44.6
Training duration
crossfit 40.8
Training location
shoulder 20.2
Years of experience
sleep 11.9
Other activites during week
cancer/respiratory disease/digestive disease 0.6
Physical complaints*
child care 19.9
45-59 age group
These athletes usually have a coach, train 3-4 days per week for 1-1.5 hours in the gym. They train for more than 5 years or for 1 year, and do crossfit or some kind of cardio training additionally to their weightlifting training.
Shoulder, sleep, autoimmune disease and work demands are the biggest complaints affecting training.
Training program
Training days
Training duration
Training location
Years of experience
Other activites during week
Physical complaints*
Psychological complaints*
Health complaints*
Life factors*
Pregnancy*
Menstruation*
Menopausal complaints*
Training program
coach 64.9
Training duration
1-1.5 hours 38.3
Training location
weightlifting gym 44.0
Years of experience
>5 years 32.9
Other activites during week
cardio/running/swimming 43.5
Physical complaints*
shoulder 35.8
Psychological complaints*
sleep 9.8
Health complaints*
autoimmune disease 2.6
Life factors*
work demands 40.9
Pregnancy*
own program 29.2
Menopausal complaints*
1.5-2 hours 31.7
Training program
crossfit gym 38.1
Training duration
crossfit 38.1
Training location
knees 10.5
Years of experience
stress 4.5
Other activites during week
respiratory disease 2.0
Physical complaints*
family concerns 9.1
60+ age group
The smallest group. Higher proportion of these athletes are programming for themselves but many of them receive programming from a coach. These athletes train 3 days a week for 1-2 hours mainly at home. Most of these athletes train for more than 5 years. Additional activities done on a weekly basis by these athletes include brisk walking and some kind of cardio training.
Shoulder, sleep, chronic disease and work demands were the most popular complaints affecting training.
Training program
Training days
Training duration
Training location
Years of experience
Other activites during week
Physical complaints*
Psychological complaints*
Health complaints*
Life factors*
Pregnancy*
Menstruation*
Menopausal complaints*
Training program
own program 47.1
Training duration
1-1.5 hours 31.8
Training location
home 48.2
Years of experience
>5 years 76.8
Other activites during week
brisk walking 45.9
Physical complaints*
shoulder 36.6
Psychological complaints*
sleep 11.4
Health complaints*
chronic disease 7.7
Life factors*
work demands 65.5
Menopausal complaints*
1.5-2 hours 29.4
Training program
weightlifting gym 38.8
Training duration
cardio/running/swimming 40.0
Training location
knees 27.5
Years of experience
depression 4.8
Other activites during week
cardiovascular 6.4
Physical complaints*
access to facility 6.0
Take home message
For a clinician & coach
Men train less times per week than women. As athletes age they train less times per week and choose less demanding additional activities (replace crossfit with brisk walking). Younger Masters athletes complain more about stress affecting their training, and older athletes about sleep problems. In women, shoulder injuries are the most common, in younger Masters male athletes knees, and shoulders when they reach the age of 45 years and after.
For a parent
Younger Masters athletes complain more about stress affecting their training, and older athletes about sleep problems. In women, shoulder injuries are the most common, in younger Masters male athletes knees, and shoulders when they reach the age of 45 years and after.
For an athlete
Younger Masters athletes complain more about stress affecting their training, and older athletes about sleep problems. In women, shoulder injuries are the most common, in younger Masters male athletes knees, and shoulders when they reach the age of 45 years and after.
Original article
Huebner M, Meltzer D, Ma W, Arrow H. The Masters athlete in Olympic weightlifting: Training, lifestyle, health challenges, and gender differences. PloS one. 2020 Dec 4;15(12):e0243652.
Huebner M, Meltzer DE, Ma W, Arrow H. Correction: The Masters athlete in Olympic weightlifting: Training, lifestyle, health challenges, and gender differences. Plos one. 2021 Feb 10;16(2):e0247110.
