Evidence Strong | Lifting Science

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/pelvic-floor-and-173330250 🏋️‍♀️

How does heavy lifting influence the pelvic floor muscles and the risk of incontinence? Dr Kristina Skaug & Dr Kari Bø have run multiple studies to test it! We discuss how big a problem pelvic issues can be and how to fix them.

Dr Kristina L. Skaug is a physiotherapist with a PhD from the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, where her research focused on pelvic floor dysfunction among female athletes.

Professor Kari Bø is a trained physical therapist and exercise/sport scientist. She has served as a vice president of the International Organization of Physical Therapists in Women’s Health and of the Norwegian Council for Physical Activity.

Original research papers:

Skaug KL, Engh ME, Frawley H, Bø K. Prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction, bother, and risk factors and knowledge of the pelvic floor muscles in Norwegian male and female powerlifters and Olympic weightlifters.

https://www.ovid.com/jnls/nsca-jscr/abstract/10.1519/jsc.0000000000003919~prevalence-of-pelvic-floor-dysfunction-bother-and-risk?redirectionsource=fulltextview

Skaug KL, Engh ME, Bø K. Acute effect of heavy weightlifting on the pelvic floor muscles in strength-trained women: an experimental crossover study.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11805478/

Skaug KL, Engh ME, Bø K. Pelvic floor muscle training in female functional fitness exercisers: an assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial.

https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/58/9/486.short

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/testing-strength-172667824 🏋️‍♀️

What types of strength exactly should we be testing if we're interested in improving sprinting? Dr Luke Stutter comes on the ES Show to discuss his newest study relating 5 strength tests to sprinting performance in athletes. Luke draws on the work of Mary-Claire Geneau, who we had on the show twice:

- 5 strength domains every coach must know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0fz2LqHBo8

- Can jump tests replace squats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8L-TNniIBQ

Dr Luke Stutter is a strength and conditioning coach specialising in strength diagnostics and sprinting. He recently completed a PhD at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia, investigating the role of specific strength qualities on sprint performance. Luke also oversees the physical preparation at Coburg FC, blending his research with real-world application within Australian rules football.

Enjoy!

Original research paper:

Stutter LR, Carey DL, Huynh M, Driller MW, Davids CJ, James LP. Which Strength Qualities Matter Most for Sprinting? Partitioning Unique and Shared Variance in a Multivariable Model. European Journal of Sport Science. 2026 Jul;26(7):e70216.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ejsc.70216

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🔹 https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=aId4Z74AAAAJ

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/biomechanics-of-170955689 🏋️‍♀️

The Turkish national Olympic weightlifting team underwent a biomechanical assessment of the snatch to determine what is similar and what is different between male and female lifters. Dr. Kaan Nazım Nazik and the team assessed ground reaction forces, joint angles, angular velocities, bar kinematics, and muscle activation of six muscles. This is an interesting study that not only compares males and females at the same competitive level but also uses EMG, which is quite rare (and for a reason we discuss).

Kaan Nazım Nazik, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at Istanbul Aydın University, Faculty of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching Education. His research focuses primarily on Olympic weightlifting, sports biomechanics, strength and conditioning, and athletic performance. Before his academic career, he competed as a national-team weightlifter, giving him both practical and scientific perspectives on elite weightlifting performance.

Enjoy!

Original research paper:

NAZİK, K. N., Ertan, H., & Harbili, E. Biomechanics of The Snatch Technique in Men and Women Weightlifters: Comparison of Ground Reaction Forces, Muscle Activation and Bar Kinematics. Muscle Activation and Bar Kinematics.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5704547

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/menstrual-cycle-170946802 🏋️‍♀️

What are the experiences with menstrual cycle symptoms in competitive Olympic weightlifters and powerlifters? Brooke Alvar came on the ES Show for the second time to report what she has found so far in her PhD from talking to lifters and their coaches.

Brooke Alvar has a background in exercise and sport science (BSc) and strength and conditioning (MSc), five years of university-level teaching, and almost ten years of coaching experience. Her interests lie in getting athletes as strong as possible for competition, whilst managing their health and wellbeing. Her PhD research aims to understand how the menstrual cycle influences maximal strength performance, neuromuscular function, and subjective measures of wellbeing in strength-sport athletes (weightlifters and powerlifters). Alongside her research and coaching, Brooke teaches within the College of Sport, Health and Engineering at Victoria University.

Enjoy!

Original research paper:

Alvar BE, Harris DM, O’Bryan SJ, Nelson AR. Strength-sport athlete and coach perspectives and training practices throughout the menstrual cycle. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. 2026:17479541261439786.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17479541261439786

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/what-sleep-does-170584793 🏋️‍♀️

How does sleep quality affect mental health and quality of life in elite athletes? Dr. Mohamed Romdhani discusses his research study of 118 elite athletes.

Mohamed Romdhani has a Ph.D. in Sport Sciences from the University of Manouba, Tunisia (2019), with several teaching and research experiences in France and Tunisia (2019–2026). He now holds a position as an Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology at the Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education, University of Sfax, Tunisia. He is affiliated with the Research Unit of the National Observatory of Sport and the Interdisciplinary Research Laboratory at Paris Nanterre University, France, and his research focuses on the bidirectional relationship between sleep and athletic performance to help athletes and coaches optimize performance, recovery, and long-term well-being.

Original research paper:

Romdhani M, Bentouati E, Abid R, Moussa-Chamari I, Chamari K, Saad HB, Driss T, Souissi N. Reciprocal relationships between sleep quality, mental health and the quality of life in elite athletes: A pilot study. Biology of Sport. 2025 Sep 9;43(1):267-79.

https://www.termedia.pl/Reciprocal-relationships-between-sleep-quality-mental-health-and-the-quality-of-life-in-elite-athletes-A-pilot-study,78,56666,0,1.html

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/resistance-and-170041260 🏋️‍♀️

Some studies suggest that strength training helps shift the focus from how our bodies look to how they perform. Dr Maryam Marashi discusses her PhD study on body image across different resistance training modalities, like bodybuilding, CrossFit, Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and strongwoman.

Maryam Marashi, PhD, is a researcher, strength and conditioning coach, and competitive Olympic weightlifter based in Toronto. Her research focuses on resistance training, body image, and the psychological and social factors that shape how people relate to exercise. She spends most of her day coaching everyday exercisers across strength training, weightlifting, CrossFit, and performance settings. Her work sits at the intersection of research and real-world coaching, with a particular interest in helping people build strength without turning fitness into another source of pressure or self-criticism.

Enjoy!

Original research paper:

Marashi M, Sabiston CM, O’Loughlin EK, Ryan SE, Arbour-Nicitopoulos KP, Mack DE. Women’s body image across resistance training modalities: A multidimensional mixed methods study. Psychology of Sport and Exercise. 2026 May 22:103156.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S146902922600097X

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/heat-therapy-or-169042101 🏋️‍♀️

Should you go to the sauna (or hot bath) right after your training session? Will it affect your strength or hypertrophy gains? Aidan Hopper led a meta-analysis of the studies that tested just that.

Aidan Hopper, MS, CSCS, is a PhD student in Human Performance and Fitness and an adjunct professor at Lehman College. He earned his master's degree in Exercise and Sport Science from Sacred Heart University, where he competed as a Division I collegiate athlete and developed an interest in the relationship between hypertrophy training and athletic performance. He works in the Applied Muscle Development Lab, focusing on hypertrophy-related research, and also serves as a strength and conditioning coach for a wide range of populations, from youth athletes to recreationally active adults.

Enjoy!

Original research paper:

Hopper A, Coleman M, Pinero A, Mohan AE, Eng J, Wajid Q, Korakakis PA, Wolf M, Swinton PA, Schoenfeld BJ. Feeling the heat: A systematic review with meta-analysis on the effects of post-resistance training thermal therapy on muscular adaptations.

https://sportrxiv.org/index.php/server/preprint/view/866

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/biomechanical-of-168727322 🏋️‍♀️

This time, I caught up with Dr. Kristof Kipp on all the new developments in biomechanical testing of Team USA in comparison to the world's elite from other countries.

Kristof Kipp, PhD, is a Professor at Marquette University, where he teaches and conducts research in applied sports biomechanics. His work focuses on the mechanics and coordination of strength-power sports, particularly weightlifting and the throwing events. Kristof is a member of the USA Weightlifting high-performance staff and also works with USA Track & Field to collect and translate biomechanical data from elite competition environments.

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/keeping-muscle-166807530 🏋️‍♀️

Manipulating body weight in sports like weightlifting and powerlifting may influence performance. This is because when losing weight, athletes usually lose some muscle mass, not only fat. But what would happen if all the weight loss came from the fat tissue? Khash Farzam discusses his patient, a powerlifter, who lost only fat, kept all his muscle, but still lost some strength.

Dr. Khashayar Farzam is an emergency physician in Kitchener-Waterloo with a broad clinical background in acute care, metabolic health, obesity medicine, and men’s health. He is the founder of True North Metabolic, a physician-led clinic focused on weight management and men’s health with a focus on hormonal health, cardiometabolic risk and hair loss. Outside of medicine, Dr. Farzam is an elite powerlifter who has represented Team Canada and has set multiple Guinness World Records in strength-based categories. His work combines emergency medicine experience with a strong interest in preventive health, performance, and evidence-based metabolic care. Through both his clinical practice and athletic background, he aims to make complex health, hormone, and body composition topics more practical and understandable for patients.

Enjoy!

Original research paper:

Farzam K. Maintenance of Skeletal Muscle Mass Does Not Guarantee Bench Press Performance: A Body-Composition Case Study. Cureus. 2026 May 9;18(5).

https://assets.cureus.com/uploads/case_report/pdf/492045/20260509-442747-cuh4vr.pdf

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.

🏋️‍♀️ Extended version of this interview: https://www.patreon.com/evidencestrong/posts/retiring-from-166804119 🏋️‍♀️

To become a great athlete, a person needs to make their sport a priority. This is the exact reason why retiring from an elite sport may be an extremely hard transition. Meredith Alwine retired two years ago; we sat down for a candid conversation on what helped and what still needs to be dealt with.

Meredith Alwine is a former Team USA 71/76kg weightlifter who won the 2021 World Championships, the 2020 World Cup, 3 Pan American Championships, and other titles before retiring in 2024. She now serves as the Elite Athlete Director on the USAW Board of Directors, the Vice Chair of the Athletes' Advisory Council, and the weightlifting representative on the Team USA Athletes' Commission. Outside of weightlifting, Meredith attends SMU Dedman School of Law and lives in Dallas, Texas, with her boyfriend and two dogs.

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All the content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical, nutritional, coaching, or financial advice, nor does it substitute for advice from your health care professional/provider. Any actions you will take, changes you will make to your nutrition, training or health care, are on your own responsibility and not mine.