ABSTRACT
Weightlifting is characterised by risk of back injury due to the high loads placed on the lumbar intervertebral discs. Weightlifters’ belts are marketed with the expressed aim of preventing back injuries whilst lifting heavy loads. They may do so by supporting and stabilizing the spine and by raising intra-abdominal pressure which would help to reduce the spinal compression forces. This has been confirmed in studies of the effects of wearing a weightlifter’s belt on performance of the dead-lift (Harman et al., 1989) and squat (Lander et al., 1990). Use of an abdominal belt by industrial workers has been reported to increase intra-abdominal pressure whilst lifting loads of 72.7 – 90.9 kg (McGill et al., 1990). It is unclear whether this potentially beneficial effect is maintained over multiple repetitions of lifting activities.
