Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Early paper that seems to have been overlooked by the authors of recent literary and practical reviews of the methods used to measure resistance exercise mechanical power output. Garhammer, J (1980) Power production by Olympic weightlifters. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 12, 54 - 60.In1980, Garhammer published data from his research into the sport of Olympic weightlifting, altering the perceived abilities of powerful human muscle function. Up until this point it had been suggested that the power production of human muscle was limited to ~4476 watts (Wilkie, 1960), although measures of actual weightlifting performance had, until that point been limited to between 1300 and 3000 watts (Nelson and Burdett, 1978). However, by applying advanced cinematographical motion analysis techniques Garhammer demonstrated that elite weightlifters could generate mechanical power outputs in access of double that figure. This work has important implications for this thesis because as Garhammer (1980) demonstrated the methodological approach to any analysis of human mechanical power output can be significantly influenced by the way in which mechanical power output is measured. It is the aim of this section to review the methods that have and continue been used to measure human mechanical power output. The section will concentrate primarily on the area of resistance training but will extend to other forms of human performance. The section will begin by providing background to the topic and will then address the key areas of mechanical power output measurement techniques: motion analysis only, force only, and combined motion/force techniques.Garhammer (1980) divided the work performed on the bar by the elapsed time of the specific phase durations; work was calculated as the change in mechanical energy: the kinetic energy of the bar/lifter system plus the potential energy of the bar/lifter system. However, Garhammer also included the work performed on the barbell in the horizontal plane as well as the work performed in elevating the body’s centre of mass, primarily during the second pull. As such the power outputs recorded for the various phases of the Olympic lifts ranged from 1245 watts for the lighter weight category weightlifters during the first pull of the snatch lift to 4807 watts by the heavier weight category weightlifters during the second pull of the snatch lift.
Citation preview
