Effects of Weightlifting on the Nervous System
A look at why you should be looking to attract older weightlifters and how you adjust coaching and programming to retain them.
Weightlifting training can cause many physical adaptations. Body composition can change, muscles may increase in size, and the lifter may become more flexible and mobile. However, some of the most significant developments in the physiology of a lifter occur within the neuromuscular system. These neural changes significantly contribute to increased muscle force and power output. This power output enables the athlete to lift more weight in both the snatch and clean and jerk.
An athlete can get stronger and more powerful without changing physical size is particularly important in weightlifting as it is a weight-categorised sport. The nervous system generates the signals to tell which muscles to activate and how much force to apply, so optimising neuromuscular function is often the priority of training.
In this paper, we will introduce the anatomy of the nervous system, specific neural adaptations that occur when training in weightlifting, and how we train to optimise these adaptations. After reading this paper, you will have an increased understanding of the impact that weightlifting training has on the nervous system. You will better understand the role of the nervous system in its ability to help athletes lift more weight and how to program to optimise these adaptations.