EFFECTS OF OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING TRAINING ON TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES

Abstract

Used to improve strength and power, Olympic Weightlifting (OW) presents dynamic movements that simulate sports actions, in two categories of execution, namely snatch and clean and jerk. For athletics, a sports modality that demands high levels of strength and power, it is essential that the athlete performs specific training, aiming to acquire these capacities. Thus, this research analyzed the effects of applying the OW-based training methodology, with the purpose of evaluating whether the training is effective in gaining strength, as well as its impact on the results achieved during the competitive period in athletics athletes. This is a quasi-experimental, longitudinal study with a quantitative approach. Eight athletes participated in the OW training for 30 weeks. Tests of predicted maximum strength (1-RM) and palmar and lumbar dynamometry were performed, as well as records of marks in official competitions. The results indicated significant gains in strength in the 1-RM tests for the OW movements (clean and jerk and snatch), as well as expressive improvements in the results of athletes who competed in official events of the Brazilian Athletics Confederation. Finally, the OW training proved to be efficient for the development of strength in athletics athletes, especially in the specific movements of snatch and clean and jerk, reverberating in the improvement of competitive results, which is the main goal of including the referred training methodology. For future studies, we observe the relevance of expanding the sample and diversifying the analyzed variables, such as training cycles and academic obligations routine.