One aspect of belt usage has not yet been raised yet, namely that a belt tends
to decrease the thickness of the intervertebral discs during any lifting and
prolonged standing or sitting.
In populations, especially older ones, whose spinal discs may already have
deteriorated by the rigours of living, the periodic wearing of belts,
especially when training or exercising, may offer significant safety benefits
- even if some degree of belt abstinence is recommended for allowing natural
stress-conditioning of the spine.
There are several references which upport this idea, such as:
Bourne ND, Reilly T Effect of a weightlifting belt on spinal shrinkage. Br
J Sports Med 1991 Dec; 25(4):209-12
Spinal loading during weightlifting results in a loss of stature which has
been attributed to a decrease in height of the intervertebral discs, the so-
called
'spinal shrinkage'.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a standard
weightlifting belt in attenuating spinal shrinkage.
Male subjects performed two sequences of circuit weight-training, one without
a belt and on a separate occasion with a belt. The circuit training regimen
consisted of six common weight-training exercises. These were performed in 3
sets of 10 reps with a change of exercise after each set of 10 repetitions. A
stadiometer sensitive to within 0.01 mm was used to record alterations in
stature. Measurements of stature were taken before and after completion of the
circuit.
The circuit weight-training caused stature losses of 3.6mm without the belt
and 2.9 mm with the belt. The subjects complained of significantly less
discomfort when the belt was worn.
The degree of shrinkage significantly correlated with perceived discomfort,
but only when the belt was not worn. These results suggest the potential
benefits of wearing a weightlifting belt and support the hypothesis that the
belt can help in stabilizing the trunk.
Dr Mel C Siff
Littleton, CO, USA
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