Research

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Psychological stress significantly reduces force production in competitive powerlifters, particularly women, but does not impair strength in untrained individuals.

If you are a competitive powerlifter, especially if you are a woman, managing psychological stress is crucial for your performance. Each point of increased stress can cost you several kilograms in your lift. Prioritize stress management techniques alongside your physical training.

ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Psychological stress does not impair strength performance among untrained individuals. However, stress management may be critical for strength athletes, particularly women. ... each additional point of stress predicted a 4.8 kg reduction in performance (p=0.005; 95% CI: -7.43 to -2.27).
Matthew C. Juber et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2019

Why this rating

Small sample sizes for both groups (RA: n=23, PL: n=34), observational design for powerlifters, and specific demographic constraints.

Source

TheEffects of Eccentric Duration on Squat and Bench Press Concentric Performance

Matthew C. Juber et al. · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2019

DOI 10.1249/01.mss.0000560631.22089.11

crossover · n=16
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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