Peak Age and Performance Progression in World-Class Weightlifting and Powerlifting Athletes

Purpose: To quantify age of peak performance and performance improvements in the years preceding peak age in elite weightlifting and powerlifting athletes using results from powerlifting World Championships in 2003-2017 and weightlifting World Championships and Olympic Games in 1998-2017. Methods: Individual performance trends were derived by fitting a quadratic curve separately to each athlete's performance and age data. Effects were evaluated using magnitude-based inferences. Results: Peak age (mean [SD]) was 35 (7) y for powerlifters and 26 (3) y for weightlifters, a large most likely substantial difference of 9, +/- 1 y (mean, 90% confidence limit). Men showed possibly higher peak age than women in weightlifting (0.8, +/- 0.7 y; small) and a possibly lower peak age in powerlifting (1.3, +/- 1.8 y; trivial). Peak age of athletes who ever won a medal was very likely less than that of nonmedalists in weightlifting (1.3, +/- 0.6 y; small), while the difference in powerlifters was trivial but unclear. Five-year improvements prior to peak age were 12% (10%) for powerlifters and 9% (7%) for weightlifters, a small possibly substantial difference (2.9, +/- 2.1%). Women exhibited possibly greater improvements than men in powerlifting (2.7, +/- 3.8%; small) and very likely greater in weightlifting (3.5, +/- 1.6%; small). Medalists possibly improved less than nonmedalists among powerlifters (-1.7, +/- 2.3%; small), while the difference was likely trivial for weightlifters (2.3, +/- 1.8%). Conclusion: These novel insights on performance development will be useful for practitioners evaluating strategies for achieving success.