BIBLIOGRAPHY: Children & Weights

[Guest guest]

Mike Poling:

Just a few things regarding the Bibliography which follows:

#1. My point has never been that weightlifting is bad for children...far

from it. The point HAS been that for the average children, which is what

most children are, High Intensity Weight training with heavy loads is

dangerous and unnecessary for strength gains, as shown in several of the

studies I've referenced.

#2. Several of the articles I have referenced support weight lifting as a

fantastic means of exercise, fun and sport for children. I DO NOT DISAGREE.

But read the article. The programs they have used are NOT powerlifting

programs nor do they deal with the heavy weights we were discussing...They

deal with a moderate level routine.

#3. I need to re-cant something I wrote to Mel...about the permanent

adhesions...I got my research twisted...those studies were done on

adolescent baseball pitchers, not weight lifters so in the scope of things,

I can't really use them as a basis for support.

#4. Everyone seems to like referencing Faigenbaum AD; Westcott WL; Loud RL;

Long C, 1999. Fine and dandy...has anyone READ the article?

It concludes by saying that a moderate training protocol versus a heavy

training protocol is less risky, produced better results (40.9 % gain versus

30.1% gain) and is recommended for adolescents. I fail to see how this can

be misinterpreted.

#5. Mel, you stated in a previous post that there were no studies linking

epiphyseal plate damage to heavy, high intensity weight training. I think

you'll find 3 on my list. All from peer-review journals, i believe.

#6. , I have reviewed your web-page about your daughter...very nifty

article! Again...it looks to me like you are one of those coaches that

spends the time learning, training and coaching with your athlete...My point

is, very few coaches do. And they are reading this post, just like you are.

So when you say to someone, " It is safe to do high intensity, heavy

weights of 275 lbs with a 12 year old " , they listen to that and, as one

private e-mail said to me, " I was going to try increasing my son's squat by

50 lbs to get him going " ...this from a father who spends 20 minutes coaching

his sone, who works out for 1 hour and has been lifting for about 4 weeks

(the e-mail wasn't clear, but that was the mentioned time-frame). So that

info is getting to people who are NOT putting in the time, training and

learning.

THAT has been my point all along! There are always exceptional

children, and they can be produced, but you took a long time (judging by

your web page) to get your daughter there...I think you need to be clear

when you talk about this online, because to others, it seems as though you

are saying it is perfectly safe to go ahead...and it isn't...there are

risks, and more risk with heavier weight. You have chosen to learn ways to

reduce risk, but you can't eliminate it.

Two things, though. The web page said that Meagan had to get special

permission to participate in the competitions as a 12 year old...why do you

think that is? this is right off the CPU website, as well...

" In the compression type of injury, the trauma is directed mostly to the

joint itself. This type of injury has little or no tearing of the tissues

and swelling, if present, is limited to the joint capsule. The stress of the

weight effects mechanoreceptors and nociceptors ( little receptors that give

the body information about position, load and pain) in the joint structure.

This type of injury appears to affect the internal structures of the joint

that can exhibit a common finding of mutiple muscle weaknesses, especially

muscles that cross that joint. Joints that can be affected by this is the

ankle, knee, lumbar, thoracic, cervical joints. The exercises that can

affect these joints are usually ones with heavy axial loading such as heavy

squats, deadlifts, shoulder presses, etc.. These heavy loads can compress

the joints enough to create an abnormal firing of joint receptors and change

the normal tone and strength of the muscles that surround that joint.

Repeated joint traction of these joints can normalize the firing of the

joint receptors and reestablish the normal tone and strength of the muscles. "

And this was referencing adults who are fully developed and lifting

competitively. So your associations own website is acknowledging the heavy

weight loads and risks associated with lifting in adults...do you honestly

believe that risk is equal in children? They are not fully developed,

haven't got the same power to size ratio, haven't got the same postural

support from musculature and haven't the same rigidity in their skeletal

structure. Yes...it can be developed, but the studies I've referenced in

the bibliography clearly show that BMD and BMC (bone mineral density and

bone mineral content) are gained in both heavy and moderate levels of weight

lifting in approximately the same amount, some studies finding better

results in moderate level lifting.

Finally, Mel, with regards to the Heavy versus Moderate. I think we are

talking semantics here. Heavy is near to maximal (my vote would be 85% of 1

RM and above, but that's just experience and a bit of 1980's research

talking) and moderate is middle ground. (again, my vote being 60-80% of 1RM)

Now that I've hopefully cleared up what I meant and have provided the

research, can we stop being so defensive about our sports? It's a great

sport, but we take precautions in every sport...but the general population

doesn't regard weight training as a sport...they regard it as a means to an

end...better participation in their chosen sport. Sorry, but it is

true...that's what the population sees...whether or not that's the way it

really is.

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