[Is the orthopedically correct lifting technique rational from a cardiopulmonary and metabolic viewpoint?]

In spite of educational work for many years by the orthopaedic surgeons wrong lifting techniques are still used in everyday life as well as during exercise. The reason for this could be the fact that there is an advantage regarding these techniques from the energetic point of view.

To clarify this issue we examined 30 healthy males within the age range of 17 and 30 years (weight: 74.0 +/- 9.2 kg, height: 182.5 +/- 6.7 cm). In a randomised sequence the volunteers carried out two different lifting techniques: 1. Lifting with stretched legs and bent back, 2. Lifting with bent legs and stretched back (Brügger technique). The test scheme consisted of four different 3-minute exercise levels with increasing weights (0 kg, 5.2 kg, 12.1 kg, 19.2 kg), the repetition rate was 30 times per level.

Using the Brügger technique the results for heart rate, VO2, VCO2 and VE were highly significant (p < 0.001) above the results of the other technique at all exercise levels. On the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) scale the differences were statistically significant regarding the 0.01-level.

The results give rise to the supposition that the energy consumption for the lifting technique with the bent back is lower and is therefore preferred in everyday life and during exercise. These findings should be taken into consideration when informing people about possible damages.