comparison of coordination and angles of lower extremity joints in elite male athletes in conventional and sumo deadlift techniques

Background & objective: the deadlift is recognized as a foundational exercise in bodybuilding and a pivotal component in powerlifting competitions. the present study sought to compare the coordination and joint angles of the lower extremities in elite male athletes while performing conventional and sumo deadlift techniques.materials and methods: fourteen elite male athletes participated in this study, performing two deadlift techniques at 70% of their one-repetition maximum for six repetitions. kinematic data were collected using seven high-speed cameras and analyzed with opensim software. a dependent t-test was conducted to compare the mean joint angles and continuous relative phase across 10 phases in both the sumo and conventional techniques.results: significant differences were observed in the coordination of the hip, knee, and ankle during the initial, middle, and final phases of both techniques. additionally, lower limb joint angles showed significant differences between the two techniques.conclusion: the results of this study revealed significant differences between the sumo and conventional deadlift techniques in terms of lower limb joint angles and continuous relative phase changes. therefore, athletes and coaches are advised to select the more appropriate deadlift technique during training and competition based on the athlete's fitness level, training goals, and required muscle involvement. due to the greater hip abduction angle and joint coordination in the initial stages of the sumo technique resulting in increased activation of the stabilizing muscles and a broader base of support the sumo deadlift is recommended for novice athletes.