A Weight lifting Belt Increases Squat Performance and Subjectively Perceived But Not Objectively Measured Postural...

Veltzke, F, Qiu, F, Bey, ME, and Legerlotz, K. A weight lifting belt increases squat performance and subjectively perceived but not objectively measured postural stability. J Strength Cond Res 40(8): 944-952, 2026-Weight lifting belts are subjectively perceived to enhance stability and improve athletic performance. However, the mechanisms underlying performance enhancement are poorly researched. This study thus aims to determine whether athletic performance and postural stability are objectively increased by wearing a weightlifting belt, and whether the effects are affected by sex or experience with belt application. Belt experienced ( n = 15) and unexperienced ( n = 14) men (height 182 ± 7 cm; body mass 88 ± 10 kg), and experienced ( n = 11) and unexperienced ( n = 9) women (height 168 ± 6 cm; body mass 66 ± 6 kg) participated in 2 measurement sessions 1 week apart. In each session, 2 sets of squats to exhaustion with the beltless 6 repetition maximum weight were performed while standing on force plates, wearing (B) or not wearing (noB) the belt in a randomized order, which was reversed in the second measurement session. The number of repetitions, movement duration, postural sway, and subjectively perceived stability were compared between conditions. With belt application, the number of repetitions increased, regardless of sex or belt experience (B_8.1 ± 1.7; noB_6.5 ± 1.3, ρ < 0.001; Wilcoxon-Test), whereas the duration of the concentric phase of squats decreased (B_1.99 ± 0.2 s; noB_2.09 ± 0.2 s, ρ < 0.001; t-Test). Wearing the belt subjectively increased postural stability (Score_3.7; ρ < 0.001; t-Test), but did not do so objectively. The path length, adjusted for movement duration, was significantly increased in experienced individuals (noB_13.4 ± 2.3 cm·s -1 ; B_13.7 ± 2.8 cm·s -1 ; ρ = 0.045; t-Test). Belt application led to an improvement in squat performance, in terms of increased movement velocity and number of repetitions, in both men and women, irrespective of prior experience. However, this improvement cannot be attributed to an increase in postural stability.