The Force Absorption Problem: Athletes Learn to Produce Force Before They Learn to Absorb It
The Concentric, Eccentric and Isometric Contraction Benefits of Weight Lifting
Every athlete wants to be faster.
· Stronger.
· More explosive.
Most training programs are built around producing force.
· Sprint faster.
· Jump higher.
· Skate harder.
· Lift more weight.
· Generate more power.
Yet many of the most common injuries in sport do not occur during force production. They occur when athletes attempt to absorb it. This distinction may be one of the most overlooked concepts in athlete development.
Every Sport Is a Collision Sport
When most people hear the phrase “collision sport,” they think of football, hockey, or rugby. In reality, every sport involves collisions. The difference is what athletes collide with.
Athletes collide with:
The ground
Their own body weight
Momentum
Deceleration forces
Opponents
Equipment
Every stride, landing, cut, stop, and direction change creates force that must be absorbed somewhere within the body. The body is not simply a force-producing machine. It is a force-management system.
The Hidden Side of Performance
Consider a hockey player accelerating down the ice. Everyone notices the powerful first three strides. Few people think about what happens when that player stops, pivots, and changes direction. The same principle applies in nearly every sport.
· A lacrosse athlete is planning to dodge.
· A soccer player cutting around a defender.
· A basketball player landing from a rebound.
· A baseball player decelerating after a sprint.
The athlete’s ability to absorb force often determines both performance and injury risk.
What Is Force Absorption?
Force absorption is the body’s ability to manage incoming mechanical loads safely.
This occurs through:
Muscles
Tendons
Ligaments
Fascia
Bones
Joints
The nervous system
When the force-absorption capacity exceeds the demands placed on the athlete, tissues adapt. When demand exceeds capacity, injury risk increases.
The equation is simple:
Load > Capacity = Increased Injury Risk
The goal of training is not simply to increase force production. The goal is to increase capacity.
Why Modern Athletes Are Struggling
Many youth athletes spend years training:
Sprint mechanics
Plyometrics
Speed drills
Agility drills
Reactive drills
These methods can be valuable.
However, many athletes never develop the foundational strength necessary to tolerate the forces these activities create. As a result, athletes become increasingly skilled at generating force without possessing the structural capacity to absorb it.
This creates a mismatch. A powerful engine attached to a weak chassis. Eventually, something breaks.
Strength Is Force Absorption Training
One of the biggest misconceptions in youth sports is that strength training is primarily about producing force. In reality, strength training may be even more important for teaching athletes how to absorb force.
A properly performed squat teaches:
Load acceptance
Joint control
Force distribution
Trunk stability
A deadlift teaches:
Posterior chain loading
Spinal stiffness
Hip force management
Split squats, carries, and controlled eccentric training expose tissues to progressively increasing loads while allowing adaptation. The body becomes more resilient. Not simply stronger.
Eccentric Strength: The Missing Link
Muscles can contract in three ways:
-Concentric
-Isometric
-Eccentric
Most injuries occur during eccentric loading. This is when muscles are lengthening while under tension.
Examples include:
-Landing from a jump
-Stopping during a sprint
-Absorbing contact
-Decelerating into a cut
-Controlled lowering during movement
Research consistently demonstrates that eccentric strength is strongly associated with injury reduction and improved athletic durability. Athletes who cannot control eccentric force often struggle as competition speeds increase.
Hockey’s Force Absorption Problem
Ice hockey provides a perfect example.
Players and coaches often focus on:
Acceleration
Speed
Edge work
Explosiveness
Yet every shift involves repeated demands for force absorption.
Players must:
Stop explosively
Absorb body contact
Control lateral movement
Maintain posture under load
Stabilize during collisions
Decelerate before reaccelerating
The athlete who absorbs force efficiently can maintain position, preserve energy, and reduce the risk of injury. The athlete who cannot often compensates through inefficient movement patterns. Over time, these compensations accumulate.
What Force Absorption Training Looks Like
Developing force absorption capacity does not require complicated exercises. It often requires mastering simple ones.
Examples include:
Squats
Deadlifts
Split squats
Isometric holds
Loaded carries
Controlled landing drills
Eccentric training
Deceleration mechanics
The goal is not to make exercise more complicated. The goal is to progressively increase the athlete’s capacity to tolerate load.
The Capacity Model
Athletic development is fundamentally a capacity-building process. Every athlete possesses a ceiling determined by how much force their tissues can safely manage. Performance improves when capacity increases. Injury risk rises when demand exceeds capacity.
This is why foundational strength remains the cornerstone of long-term development. Strength is not simply a performance quality. It is a protective quality.
About the Author
Dr. Rob Pomahac is the founder of Modern Health University (MHU), Injury Matrix (IMX), and PEP Utah. He holds a master’s degree in functional biomechanics from the University of Waterloo and has spent more than 30 years studying human performance, injury mechanisms, spinal biomechanics, and athlete development. He currently serves as Head Sports Consultant for the Delta Ice Hawks Junior A hockey organization, where he focuses on diagnostics, performance optimization, and longitudinal athlete development.
The Takeaway
Most athletes spend their careers trying to generate more force. The best athletes learn how to absorb it. The future of athlete development is not merely producing bigger, faster, and more explosive athletes. It is developing athletes with the structural capacity to tolerate the demands of high-level competition.
In sport, the body that manages force most effectively is often the one that performs at the highest level. And the body that stays healthy the longest.
References
· Suchomel TJ, Nimphius S, Stone MH. The Importance of Muscular Strength in Athletic Performance. Sports Medicine. 2016.
· Hewett TE, Myer GD, Ford KR. Reducing Knee and ACL Injuries Through Neuromuscular Training. Journal of Knee Surgery. 2005.
· Lloyd RS, Oliver JL. The Youth Physical Development Model. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 2012.
· Bergeron MF, et al. International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement on Youth Athletic Development. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2015.
· LaStayo PC, Woolf JM, Lewek MD, et al. Eccentric Muscle Contractions: Their Contribution to Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. Journal of Orthopedic & Sports Physical Therapy. 2003.