These weightlifting injury figures cover the measurement periods and populations identified in the available source material. Estimates, surveys and forecasts retain their reported scope.
Key Weightlifting Injury Statistics
The main findings are:
- The weighted estimated annual number of U.S. weightlifting-related injuries treated in emergency departments rose from 86,910 in 2010 to 109,961 in 2016 (2010-2016).
- Weightlifting competition injury period prevalence ranged from 10.7% to 68% across reviewed studies (Studies published 2015-February 2024 plus prior review evidence; Olympic weightlifting competitions).
- Among U.S. weightlifting sprains and strains, lower-trunk injuries accounted for 29.4% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations).
- Weightlifting shoulder-injury patients were 83.3% male (2000-2017; U.S. ED shoulder presentations).
- Among pediatric upper-extremity weightlifting injuries, males accounted for 85.1% (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, upper extremity).
- Pediatric upper-extremity injury share occurring in sports centers rose from 0.6% to 3.7% (2003-2022).
- The 2010-2016 annual injury increase was statistically significant (p=0.01).
- Weightlifting training injury incidence ranged from 2.4 to 3.3 injuries per 1,000 training hours (Reviewed studies; Olympic weightlifting).
- Shoulder sprains and strains accounted for 22.6% of weightlifting sprains and strains (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations).
- People aged 20-29 represented 30.5% of weightlifting shoulder-injury presentations (2000-2017; U.S. ED shoulder presentations).
- Among pediatric lower-extremity weightlifting injuries, males accounted for 77.5% (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, lower extremity).
- Pediatric lower-extremity injury share occurring in sports centers rose from 0.4% to 3.2% (2003-2022).
- NEISS identified 20,489 weight-training-related injury records from October 1978 through December 1998 (1978-1998).
- Powerlifting training injury incidence ranged from 1.0 to 4.4 injuries per 1,000 training hours (Reviewed studies).
- Upper-trunk sprains and strains accounted for 17.3% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations).
Contents
- Key Weightlifting Injury Statistics
- Weightlifting injury statistics: national emergency-department burden and long-term trends
- Weightlifting injury rates by training exposure and competition setting
- Most common weightlifting injury locations and diagnoses
- Weightlifting shoulder, trunk and lower-extremity injury statistics
- Who experiences weightlifting injuries: sex, age and youth patterns
- Weightlifting injury mechanisms, settings and measured outcomes
Weightlifting injury statistics: national emergency-department burden and long-term trends
- The weighted estimated annual number of U.S. weightlifting-related injuries treated in emergency departments rose from 86,910 in 2010 to 109,961 in 2016 (2010-2016). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- The 2010-2016 annual injury increase was statistically significant (p=0.01). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- NEISS identified 20,489 weight-training-related injury records from October 1978 through December 1998 (1978-1998). (Weight training injury trends: a…)
- The 1978-1998 study estimated 980,173 people were treated in U.S. EDs for weight-training activity or equipment injuries. (Weight training injury trends: a…)
- ED-treated weight-training injuries increased 35% since 1978 in the 20-year survey (1978-1998). (Weight training injury trends: a…)
- National shoulder-injury estimates increased from 8,073 cases in 2000 to 14,612 in 2017 (2000-2017). (Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to…)
- The shoulder-injury time trend had R²=0.87 and p<0.001 (2000-2017). (Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to…)
- A linear model projected 22,691 national weightlifting shoulder-injury cases by 2030. (Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to…)
NEISS estimate; captures ED-treated cases, not all injuries.
Trend is for NEISS-presenting injuries.
Records are not the national total.
Retrospective NEISS estimate.
Study reports a comparison with 1978; not a current rate.
NEISS shoulder-injury estimate.
Association with time does not establish causation.
Model projection, not an observed count.
Weightlifting injury rates by training exposure and competition setting
- Weightlifting competition injury period prevalence ranged from 10.7% to 68% across reviewed studies (Studies published 2015-February 2024 plus prior review evidence; Olympic weightlifting competitions). (Injuries in weightlifting and powerlifting:…)
- Weightlifting training injury incidence ranged from 2.4 to 3.3 injuries per 1,000 training hours (Reviewed studies; Olympic weightlifting). (Injuries in weightlifting and powerlifting:…)
- Powerlifting training injury incidence ranged from 1.0 to 4.4 injuries per 1,000 training hours (Reviewed studies). (Injuries in weightlifting and powerlifting:…)
- One powerlifting report found point injury prevalence of 70% (One reviewed report). (Injuries in weightlifting and powerlifting:…)
- Bodybuilding injury rates in the reviewed literature were 0.12-0.7 injuries per lifter per year (Reviewed studies; Competitive bodybuilding). (The Epidemiology of Injuries Across…)
- Bodybuilding injury rates were 0.24-1 injury per 1,000 hours (Reviewed studies; Competitive bodybuilding). (The Epidemiology of Injuries Across…)
- Strongman injury rates were 4.5-6.1 injuries per 1,000 hours (Reviewed studies; Competitive strongman). (The Epidemiology of Injuries Across…)
- Highland Games injury rate was 7.5 injuries per 1,000 hours (Reviewed studies; Competitive Highland Games). (The Epidemiology of Injuries Across…)
- A CDC-led survey found 2.4% of weightlifting participants reported an injury in the preceding 30 days (Late spring-summer 1994; preceding 30 days). (Injury rates from walking, gardening,…)
Ranges reflect differing study designs and injury definitions.
Not directly comparable with competition prevalence.
Related sport, not identical to Olympic weightlifting.
Single report; painful training- or competition-impairing conditions may inflate prevalence relative to acute ED counts.
Related weight-training sport, not general gym users.
Review range across studies.
Related sport with different exposures.
Single sport estimate, not Olympic weightlifting.
Self-reported telephone survey; weightlifting participation and injury were not limited to ED cases.
Most common weightlifting injury locations and diagnoses
- Among U.S. weightlifting sprains and strains, lower-trunk injuries accounted for 29.4% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Shoulder sprains and strains accounted for 22.6% of weightlifting sprains and strains (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Upper-trunk sprains and strains accounted for 17.3% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Neck sprains and strains accounted for 6.5% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Upper-arm sprains and strains accounted for 5.6% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Wrist sprains and strains accounted for 4.8% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Knee sprains and strains accounted for 3.4% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Elbow sprains and strains accounted for 2.6% (2010-2016; U.S. ED presentations). (Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related…)
- Sprains, strains and muscle tears made up 65.1% of weightlifting-related shoulder injuries presenting to U.S. EDs (2000-2017; U.S. ED shoulder presentations). (Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to…)
Denominator is sprains and strains, not all weightlifting injuries.
Sprain/strain subset only.
Shoulder-injury subset; categories are combined.
Weightlifting shoulder, trunk and lower-extremity injury statistics
- Weightlifting shoulder-injury patients were 83.3% male (2000-2017; U.S. ED shoulder presentations). (Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to…)
- People aged 20-29 represented 30.5% of weightlifting shoulder-injury presentations (2000-2017; U.S. ED shoulder presentations). (Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to…)
- Average age of weightlifting shoulder injury increased to 34.33 years during 2012-2017 (U.S. ED shoulder presentations). (Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to…)
- Lower-extremity weightlifting injuries produced a national estimate of 311,842 cases during 2012-2021 (United States EDs). (Lower Body Weightlifting Injuries Treated…)
- Dropped weight was the mechanism in 22.96% of sampled lower-extremity weightlifting injury records (2012-2021; U.S. ED lower-extremity cases). (Lower Body Weightlifting Injuries Treated…)
- Deadlifts were the cited exercise in 6.47% of sampled lower-extremity injury records (2012-2021; U.S. ED lower-extremity cases). (Lower Body Weightlifting Injuries Treated…)
- In a 2014-2023 NEISS analysis, weightlifting injuries primarily involved the trunk (70.1%) (U.S. ED weightlifting cases). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Phalangeal injuries represented 13.7% of weightlifting injuries in the 2014-2023 analysis (U.S. ED weightlifting cases). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
Sex distribution among ED shoulder cases, not injury risk per participant.
Age share is not age-specific incidence.
Compared with earlier study periods; not population risk.
NEISS ED-treated lower-extremity cases.
Sampled records and lower-extremity subset.
Exercise was available only where documented in the ED narrative.
Keyword-screened NEISS cases; trunk category is broad.
Keyword-screened NEISS cases.
Who experiences weightlifting injuries: sex, age and youth patterns
- Among pediatric upper-extremity weightlifting injuries, males accounted for 85.1% (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, upper extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Among pediatric lower-extremity weightlifting injuries, males accounted for 77.5% (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, lower extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Pediatric upper-extremity strains and sprains comprised 46.4% of injuries (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, upper extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Pediatric lower-extremity strains and sprains comprised 40.6% of injuries (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, lower extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- The pediatric lower-extremity knee was the most commonly injured body part, at 38% of injuries (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, lower extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- The pediatric upper-extremity shoulder was the most commonly injured body part, at 33.4% of injuries (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, upper extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Pediatric upper-extremity injuries increased from 3,527 in 2003 to 5,540 in 2022 (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, upper extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Pediatric lower-extremity injuries increased from 750 in 2003 to 1,853 in 2022 (2003-2022; U.S. children and adolescents, lower extremity). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
Pediatric ED injury distribution, not participation-adjusted risk.
ED cases and upper-extremity subset.
ED cases and lower-extremity subset.
Lower-extremity ED subset.
Upper-extremity ED subset.
Reported annual estimates; not participation-adjusted.
Weightlifting injury mechanisms, settings and measured outcomes
- Pediatric upper-extremity injury share occurring in sports centers rose from 0.6% to 3.7% (2003-2022). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Pediatric lower-extremity injury share occurring in sports centers rose from 0.4% to 3.2% (2003-2022). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Pediatric upper-extremity injury share occurring in schools fell from 2.6% to 1.5% (2003-2022). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Pediatric lower-extremity injury share occurring in schools fell from 2.2% to 0.6% (2003-2022). (Epidemiology of weightlifting injuries in…)
- Among lower-extremity weightlifting injuries, 76% of patients were male and 24% female (2012-2021; U.S. ED lower-extremity cases). (Lower Body Weightlifting Injuries Treated…)
- For squat-related lower-extremity injuries, 79.63% of sampled records were male and 19.96% female (2012-2021; U.S. ED squat-related lower-extremity cases). (Lower Body Weightlifting Injuries Treated…)
- For deadlift-related lower-extremity injuries, 83.89% of sampled records were male and 16.10% female (2012-2021; U.S. ED deadlift-related lower-extremity cases). (Lower Body Weightlifting Injuries Treated…)
- Lower-extremity weightlifting patients admitted to hospital averaged 38.0 years versus 31.2 years for outpatients (2012-2021; U.S. ED lower-extremity cases). (Lower Body Weightlifting Injuries Treated…)
- Female athletes in reviewed weightlifting and powerlifting studies had pelvic-floor dysfunction prevalence of 50% (Reviewed studies; Female weightlifting and powerlifting athletes). (Injuries in weightlifting and powerlifting:…)
- Male athletes in reviewed weightlifting and powerlifting studies had pelvic-floor dysfunction prevalence of 9.3% (Reviewed studies; Male weightlifting and powerlifting athletes). (Injuries in weightlifting and powerlifting:…)
Setting share among injured patients, not facility injury rate.
Setting share among injured patients.
Sex distribution, not sex-specific injury rate.
Narrative-identified squat subset; percentages may not total 100 due to missing/rounding.
Narrative-identified deadlift subset; percentages may not total 100 due to missing/rounding.
Admission group was significantly older; this is not a causal age effect.
Pelvic-floor dysfunction, including urinary incontinence, is not equivalent to acute musculoskeletal injury.
Related outcome and mixed-sport review population.