Bibliometric Insights into Olympic
Weightlifting Research Trends
Suraj Kumar1, Rajeev Choudhary2
1,2School
of Studies in Physical Education, Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University, Raipur,
Chhattisgarh, India.
Abstract
Prologue: This research paper employs a rigorous
bibliometric analysis to illuminate the evolving landscape of Olympic
weightlifting research. The dynamic nature of weightlifting movements and their
multifaceted impact on athletes form the backdrop of this study. The research identified
key themes such as biomechanics, injury prevention, and the psychological
aspects of weightlifting. Leveraging the extensive Web of Science database.
Methodology: In conducting this bibliometric analysis of
Olympic weightlifting research, the database of Web of Science was selected as
the primary source of data. A comprehensive search until January 8, 2024,
yielded 10,103 articles, focusing on weightlifting, snatch, and clean &
jerk. The first method involved utilizing specific keywords related to the
subject, while the second method entailed identifying articles in selected
journals. For inclusion the criteria were
fixed to ensure relevance, including peer-reviewed publications in English.
Data cleaning procedures addressed errors such as misspelled author names and
variations in author affiliations. The VOSviewer 1.6.19 software facilitated
bibliometric analysis, with a specific focus on keyword occurrences and
co-occurrence mapping to unveil the intellectual structure of weightlifting
research. This methodological approach ensures a systematic and comprehensive
examination of the extensive body of literature in the field.
Results and Conclusions: The bibliometric analysis presents a vivid
snapshot of Olympic weightlifting research trends, showcasing a steady increase
in interest over the years. Visualization tools unveil the centrality of
"Power" and its robust connections with key concepts like strength
and performance. The co-occurrence analysis provides a nuanced understanding of
the intellectual structure, emphasizing the multidimensionality of
weightlifting studies. These findings underscore the growing role of bibliometric
analysis in sports sciences. In conclusion, this research contributes
invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of Olympic weightlifting,
encapsulating biomechanics, injury prevention, and psychological aspects. The
paper serves as a comprehensive resource for researchers, aligning with
contemporary discourse and shaping the trajectory of future studies in the
field.
Keywords: Bibliometric Analysis, Weightlifting, Snatch,
Clean and Jerk, Power.
1.
Introduction
Weightlifting movements are dynamic
resistance exercises where the body parts move rapidly throughout the entire
motion, causing the barbell to move quickly. In weightlifting there are two
types of skill: the snatch (SN) and the clean & jerk (C&J), which are
commonly done in weightlifting sports. Weightlifting movements are dynamic
resistance exercises where there is a rapid acceleration of the body parts
throughout the entire motion, leading to the barbell moving at high speeds [García-Valverde
et al., 2022]. The actions in weightlifting can be broken down into catching,
pulling, and pressing movement [Soriano et al., 2019]. Catching movements in
weightlifting involve power clean and power snatch, done from different positions
like the floor, knee, and thigh. These can also be performed using blocks or
plinths. On the other hand, pulling movements in weightlifting exclude the
catching phase. Examples include snatch and clean pulls from the floor, knee,
or thigh, done from a hang or using blocks/plinths. Additionally, there are
variations like jump shrug, high pull, and hang high pull in this category.
Evidence supports that these types of exercises are beneficial for achieving high power output and enhancing
muscular power in athletes [Soriano et al., 2019]. Weightlifting is not only a
standalone sport but is also crucial for training in other sports and as part
of general physical exercise programs [Neumann, 2019]. Olympic weightlifting
training involves doing fast and challenging resistance exercises. This type of
training needs you to have good technical skills, speed, balance, coordination,
and strength. Because muscles apply maximum force in just a short amount of
time, the power you generate is more than what other strength athletes like
bodybuilders and powerlifters can achieve [Huebner & Perperoglou, 2019]. We
can measure technical skill by analysing how the barbell moves and how much it
moves horizontally [Ang & Kong, 2023]. In the area of biomechanics,
researchers have created tools like portable force plates and wearable force
sensors. These devices aim to make it easier to measure force outside of a
traditional laboratory with the progress of wearable technology and video
analysis, there is a chance to create a portable solution for studying the
forces and movements involved in Olympic weightlifting [Ang & Kong, 2023].
The danger of getting hurt while lifting heavy objects, whether at work or
during free time, is a well-known issue. To find a balance between the total
training load and recovery, direction have been provided for those who do
resistance training. Some factors that increase the risk of injuries include
lifting heavy weights in extreme joint positions. For instance [Faigenbaum
& Myer, 2010]. found a higher risk of shoulder injuries when lifting
weights in a specific way, as weightlifters do during a snatch. The squat
movement might raise the risk of osteoarthritis. This could be because the knee
joint undergoes high forces when doing squats. In powerlifting and
weightlifting, deep squats are part of regular training and competitions [Aasa
et al., 2017]. Weightlifting exercises and their variations, such as hang
clean, hang snatch, power clean, power snatch, and high pull, are frequently
applied widely used for training purposes to enhance physical attributes that
contribute to performance in various sports [Morris et al., 2022]. Many sports
training programs focus on improving strength, power, and speed. There is a
connection between lower muscle strength, imbalances in strength, and slower
sprint speeds, which increases the risk of injuries to the muscles and skeleton
[Morris et al., 2022].
The Olympic sports gather a wide variety of
human abilities, going beyond the Olympic motto of
"Faster—Higher—Stronger." Achieving success on the Olympic podium
demands exceptional genetic, physical, technical, and mental skills [Millet et
al., 2021]. Physical activity and sports sciences have seen significant growth
in recent decades, making them one of the scientific fields with the most
publications each year. This surge allows for the conduction of reviews and
meta-analyses, which gather the important inventions in each discipline. Due to this, various
aspects of sports training and injury prevention in numerous sports, like
football, basketball, or tennis, can be enhanced [Rincón et al., 2023]. Regular
exercise significantly contributes to preserving muscle strength, cellular
function, and supports older adults in maintaining an active and independent
lifestyle [Huebner et al., 2020]. In sports, athletes often deal with mental
fatigue, that may leads have negative affect on quality of their training and their
success in competitions [Chen et al., 2023]. The way athletes express their psychological emotions
may influence the performance in sports because of their individual
personalities. Top athletes often experience ongoing challenges, both
emotionally and physically. Consequently, it is crucial to comprehend their
feelings and manage their emotions, as this plays an important role in their
sporting achievements. Following guidelines for effective mental preparation,
including building self-confidence, maintaining focus, practicing positive
visualization, and enhancing concentration, all contribute positively to
athletes maintaining a suitable emotional state during training and competition
[Baptistella do Nascimento et al., 2022].(Baptistella
do Nascimento et al., 2022)
The popularity of this can be credited to the
progress, widespread use, and easy access to tools like Gephi, Leximancer,
VOSviewer, along with scientific databases such as Scopus and Web of Science.
Additionally, the sharing of bibliometric analysis and methods from science to
research has contributed to its widespread adoption across different fields
[Donthu et al., 2021].
The study of bibliometrics is gaining more
focus from the scientific community, driven by the rapid growth of computers
and the internet. Bibliometric analysis has become a crucial method for
examining research, originating from the field of library and information
science. Numerous papers in various research areas, such as management,
economics, health economics, fuzzy research, innovation, entrepreneurship,
international business, and pricing research, offer comprehensive bibliometric insights
[Merigó & Yang, 2017]. Bibliometric analysis is a statistical method used
to study academic literature, helping us spot ongoing trends and new
developments in particular fields. Unlike the conventional systematic
evaluation and meta-analysis, bibliometric analysis provides a more comprehensive
and intuitive understanding of the current status and the progression of
research topics [Feng et al., 2022]. Bibliometric analysis has special
advantages for evaluating research and creating knowledge maps. It helps us
measure research productivity, impact, and collaboration through numbers,
giving us a full picture of the field. Unlike other review methods like
systematic reviews and meta-analyses, bibliometric analysis concentrates on
studying how publications are written and cited [Wang & Xia, 2023].
2.
Methodology
In this research, authors used the WoS Core
Collection database. authors picked this database because it gathers important
scientific papers and it is a main factor in academic decision-making
[Jiménez-García et al., 2020]
In this research paper the information was
taken from the data based named web of science until January 08, 2024. Authors selected
web of science as the main database because it is widely used and respected in
the academic community. Web of science is known for having a thorough
collection of excellent research publications and is a key source of
bibliographic information.
There are two ways by using that any information
can be retrieved from database: 1) using specific words related to the subject,
and 2) looking for articles in a few selected journals. For this study, the
researcher chose the first method to include as many articles as possible about
weightlifting, snatch and clean and jerk. The first
step was setting important criteria for picking the articles.
This study was undertaken with a aim to find
and focus on publications about weightlifting snatch and clean and jerk. To do
this, the researcher used filters to specifically look for articles related to weightlifting,
snatch and clean and jerk. The analysis was limited to original peer-reviewed
publications found in journals listed on web of science. Only articles which
are written in English language were considered. To keep the focus on academic
contributions, the researchers included only articles and excluded other types
of documents
The thorough investigation resulted in
finding 10103 articles about weightlifting from the web of science database.
Checking and Cleaning Data
The step of cleaning of the data is a crucial
step to get more accurate and trustworthy results before analysing data during
working with bibliometric data. This kind of data often has problems like
duplicates, mistakes, and missing information. Because bibliometric data can be
changed, the researcher carefully examined and fixed it to remove possible
errors and unnecessary repetitions before starting any analysis.
The study's examination identified four main
types of errors: misspelling authors' names, using different formats for the
same author names, presenting author affiliations in various formats, and not
having publication timestamps for some articles. To fix these problems
thoroughly, the researcher used thesaurus files and carefully corrected
duplicate, inaccurate, and missing information in the bibliometric data.
The researcher used VOSviewer 1.6.19 software
for bibliometric (scientometric) analyses. VOSviewer is a free tool that uses
visualization techniques to create maps showing networks within large datasets.
These networks include things like publications, authors, and keywords, along
with connections like co-citations from the same publications, co-authorships,
or co-occurrences.
The bibliometric analysis in this study
focused on main area Analyzing the common occurrences of keywords in studies
about weightlifting.
On the other hand, mapping gave a visual
picture of the intellectual structure and how it evolved in our research field.
It helped us see how different research elements interacted and connected, and
the strength of these relationships. The researcher used a single analysis
technique for mapping: co-occurrence.
3.
Results
& Findings
The main objective of the present study is to
identify the most important keywords in the area of weightlifting. For the
achievement of this, a co-occurrence analysis was carried out, emphasizing
keywords that appeared together frequently specially a minimum threshold of 2
occurrence was set for keywords related to weightlifting research. This
approach resulted in 45 keywords.
Figure:1: Publication
frequency and citation metrics for weightlifting research from 1989 to 2024.
Table -1: Co-occurrence
of the keywords associated with weightlifting research
Table -1: Deals with the Co-occurrence of the keywords
associated with weightlifting research. Each keyword associated with
weightlifting research is assigned a serial number for reference. The
"Keywords" column enumerates specific terms like "Power," "Weightlifting,"
and "Strength," reflecting key concepts within the weightlifting
domain. The "Occurrence" column quantifies how often each keyword
co-occurs with others in the analyzed literature. The "Total Link Strength"
column measures the cumulative strength of connections between a keyword and
all others in the dataset, reflecting the overall interconnectedness of
concepts.
"Power" appears 12 times in conjunction with
other keywords with a total link strength of 59.
"weightlifting"
appears 19 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 52. "Strength" appears 10 times in conjunction with other keywords
with a total link strength of 50. "Performance" appears 6 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 35. "Exercise"
appears 9 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 26. "Snatch" appears 5 times in conjunction with other keywords
with a total link strength of 24. "Vertical jump" appears 5 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 23. "Periodisation"
appears 5 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 20. "Resistance Training" appears 4 times in conjunction with
other keywords with a total link strength of 20. "Intensity" appears 4
times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 18. "Player"
appears 3 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 18. "Elite Male" appears 3 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 17. "Force" appears 2 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 16. "Position
statement" appears 3 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total
link strength of 16. "Manipulating Volume" appears 3 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 15. "Clean
and Jerk" appears 3 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total
link strength of 13. "Load" appears 3 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 13. "Movement" appears 2 times
in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 12. "Powerlifting"
appears 3 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 12. "Snatch Technique" appears 2 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 12. "Speed" appears 2 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 12. "Athletic
Performance" appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a
total link strength of 11. "Muscle Strength" appears 4 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 11. "Peak"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 11. "Resistance Exercise" appears 3 times in conjunction with
other keywords with a total link strength of 11. "Youth Weightlifting"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 11. "Association" appears 2 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 10. "Optimal Training Load"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 10. "Strength Training" appears 2 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 10. "Responses" appears 2
times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 9. "Sport
Performance" appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a
total link strength of 9. "Men" appears 2 times in conjunction with
other keywords with a total link strength of 8. "Olympic Weightlifting"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 8. "Weight" appears 3 times in conjunction with other keywords
with a total link strength of 8. "Women" appears 2 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 8. "Cross-Sectional
Area" appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link
strength of 7. "Kinematic Analysis" appears 2 times in conjunction
with other keywords with a total link strength of 7. "Maximum Strength"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 7.
"Pain"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 6. "Perceived Exertion" appears 2 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 6. "Physical -Activity"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 6. "Physical Activity" appears 2 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 6. "Model" appears 2 times in
conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength of 5. "Biomechanics"
appears 2 times in conjunction with other keywords with a total link strength
of 3. "Valsalva Maneuver" appears 2 times in conjunction with other
keywords with a total link strength of 3. The "Total" row at the bottom
provides an aggregate summary, revealing a total of 160 occurrences across all
keywords, with a combined link strength of 674. This detailed breakdown
facilitates a nuanced understanding of the relationships and prominence of
specific concepts in weightlifting studies, by giving an idea for research
scholars in the area of weightlifting.
Figure-2: Network visualization of weightlifting Research: A Network Analysis of Co-Occurring Keywords (Source: Prepared by Author using VOSviewer 1.6.19 software, 2023)
Figure-3:
Overlay visualization of weightlifting Research: A Network Analysis of
Co-Occurring Keywords (Source: Prepared by Author using VOSviewer 1.6.19
software, 2023)
Figure-4:
Density visualization of weightlifting Research: A Network Analysis of
Co-Occurring Keywords (Source: Prepared by Author using VOSviewer 1.6.19
software, 2023)
4.
Discussion
of Findings
The bibliometric analysis presented in the
present research paper gives insights regarding the trends and focus areas
within Olympic weightlifting research. The
publication frequency and citation metrics illustrate the timely growth of
weightlifting research from 1989 to 2024. Graphical and visual representation
indicates an increasing interest in weightlifting-related studies over the
years. The trend aligns with the broader growth observed in the field of sports
sciences [Rincón et al., 2023]. Co-occurrence of keywords associated with
weightlifting research, offering a Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of
the interconnectedness of concepts in the area. The keyword "Power"
appears frequently and is strongly linked to other keywords such as
"Strength," "Performance," and "Exercise." This
suggests a consistent focus on power-related aspects in weightlifting studies, which
is supported earlies conducted study [García-Valverde et al. ,2022]. On the
impact of weightlifting training on jumping ability and squat strength. Results
also represent the intellectual structure of weightlifting research, showing
how different research elements interact and evolve. The network analysis
highlights the key concepts and their relationships, providing a useful tool
for researchers for the identification of central themes within area. The
density visualization, reveals the strength and density of connections between
keywords, emphasizing the key areas of focus in weightlifting research. The
literature review highlights the integration of technology, such as portable
force plates and wearable force sensors, in biomechanical analysis of
weightlifting movements [Ang & Kong, 2023]. This reflects a trend toward
leveraging advancements in technology for a more detailed and portable
assessment of forces and movements involved in Olympic weightlifting. The
research underscores the importance of considering injury prevention in
weightlifting, especially in relation to extreme joint positions and heavy
lifting [Faigenbaum & Myer, 2010]. Guidelines for effective training load
and recovery balance are crucial for the minimization of the risk of injuries, emphasizing the required
need in related to a holistic approach to weightlifting training. The
discussion integrates findings related to the psychological aspects of
weightlifting, emphasizing the challenges athletes face in terms of mental
fatigue and emotional management [Chen et al., 2023]. Effective mental
preparation, including building self-confidence and maintaining focus, is
highlighted as a crucial factor in athletes' sporting achievements [Baptistella
do Nascimento et al., 2022]. The research paper emphasizes the increasing use
and importance of bibliometric analysis in sports sciences, facilitated by
tools like Gephi, Leximancer, and VOSviewer [Donthu et al., 2021]. The
methodology section provides a detailed account of how the WoS Core Collection
database was utilized for this study, ensuring a comprehensive and systematic
approach to data collection.
5.
Conclusions
1. The findings of this research provide a
nuanced understanding of the trends and focus areas in Olympic weightlifting
research.
2. The integration of technology in
biomechanical analysis, emphasis on injury prevention, and recognition of
psychological aspects underscore the multidimensional nature of weightlifting
studies.
3. The bibliometric analysis highlights the
growing role of bibliometric analysis as a methodological tool to assess
research trends and contribute to the evolving landscape of sports sciences.
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