title: Squat, stoop, or semi-squat: a comparative experiment on lifting technique.
abstract: There are actually no sufficient data for lifting technique assessment. A laboratory study was undertaken to determine the effect of 3 regular lifting techniques on erector muscle activation, cardiovascular strain and subjective response. Thirty student volunteers participated in the study, and were required to lift a weight with different techniques. Stoop-, squat-, semi-squat-lifting resulted in 3, 2 and 1 time of the highest percentage of the maximum voluntary electrical activation (MVE%) respectively. In the same order, the lowest median frequency (MF) existed 1, 1 and 2 times. Muscle fatigue was 4 times in squat, 36 in semi-squat and 43 in stoop lifting. Heart rate was the highest in squat and lowest in stoop respectively, with a middle level in semi-squat lifting. It may be recommended to adopt mainly the semi-squat technique for daily lifting works. For heavy lifting, it should use the squat technique. Stoop lifting may also be used alternatively but for light things.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Zhenglun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
authors.forename: Jingzhi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Beijing University, Beijing, 100191, China.
authors.forename: Lihua
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Beijing University, Beijing, 100191, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China. Leiyang@mails.tjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult