Weightlifting Grip Straps

Research on the safety of lifting straps is relatively scarce. To the best of our knowledge, only one cross-sectional self-report study has examined the association between lifting strap use and existing injuries among powerlifters. The results showed that athletes who frequently used lifting straps had a 68% increased risk of thoracic spine injuries and a 46% increased risk of knee injuries. Although this study could not establish a causal relationship, the researchers suggested that weight belts may interfere with trainees' ability to establish proper starting postures and increase upper-body tension. Previous studies have found that the use of weight belts tends to exacerbate thoracic kyphosis, which may lead to poor training technique-a known risk factor for sports injuries.

Conversely, the researchers also speculated that participants who already had existing injuries may have started using lifting belts during the injury period to reduce the load on the injured area. Furthermore, lifting belts allow trainees to achieve supraphysiological levels of force during deadlifts, enabling them to train with heavier loads; however, high-load training is positively correlated with injury rates among resistance training populations and also increases the risk of acute muscle strains. At the same time, some studies have reported an association between the use of assistive straps and upper-limb injuries; however, this remains a hypothesis that requires further research to confirm.

Furthermore, assistive straps secure the trainee's wrists to the barbell or equipment, which may increase the risk of acute injury: if an accident occurs or fatigue sets in during training, the inability to quickly release the load could result in the wrists and arms becoming trapped, potentially leading to injury. This risk is higher with figure-8 wrist straps or pull hooks, as they completely secure the wrist to the equipment. However, no studies have yet reported related adverse events, so this risk remains hypothetical.

Although wrist straps are widely used in resistance training, existing research has significant limitations, making it difficult to accurately determine their acute and chronic effects. Key issues include a lack of rigor in research methodology and an overreliance on cross-sectional studies (which cannot establish causality and are prone to bias).