Gender factor in biomechanical analysis of the snatch technique: comparison of ground reaction forces, muscle activation, and bar kinematics

The purpose of this study was to analyze ground reaction forces, muscle activation patterns, and bar kinematics in the snatch technique of weightlifting, and to make a comparison between genders. Specifically, female and male weightlifters' muscle activation patterns, kinematic data, and ground reaction forces were compared simultaneously. Sixteen (8 male and 8 female) elite weightlifters who compete at the national team level and have good training background participated voluntarily in the study. In the data collection phase, DEXA measurements were used to determine the participants' anthropometric characteristics, Ultium EMG (Noraxon) was used to obtain EMG measurements, Qualisys was used to obtain the necessary image recordings for motion analysis, and Kistler 9281EA was used to detect ground reaction forces. The participants performed the snatch movement at 85% of their maximal capacity on the force platform. Based on the obtained data, statistically significant differences were observed in muscle activation between movement phases. When examining the force platform data, statistically significant differences were found between phases, and the values of the 3rd (Throw Under Barbell and Catch) phase of males showed significant differences compared to females and all other phases. Significant differences were also observed between movement phases in the kinematic analysis data. As a result, statistically significant differences were found between genders in the 2nd phase (Second Pull) and the 3rd (Throw Under Barbell and Catch) phases, which are important stages in the clean and jerk movement.