Does Resistance Training Place High Forces on the Growing Body?
The force created as the body moves against the ground (such as running and jumping) is called ground reaction force, or GRF. GRF is measured on a mechanical device commonly called a force plate. This force is transmitted through the body, and thus through its joints. Measured ground reaction forces are often found to be far higher in sports involving jumping and landing than in resistance training. Furthermore, sports that don’t involve jumping activities have been found to also produce forces that exceed those of resistance training (8). Therefore, common sporting activities (whether or not jumping is involved) as well as innocent playground activities may produce ground reaction forces higher than does resistance training. It may be wise then to utilize resistance training to prepare the body for the many forces that are naturally encountered in sports and in life. Considering the collective scientific data on the multiple benefits and safety of resistance training for the adolescen
