Influence of eccentric tempo on concentric performance in competitive Paralympic bench press

Background Short eccentric phases may enhance concentric performance in resistance exercise, but evidence under competition-specific Paralympic bench press conditions remains limited. Objective To investigate the acute effects of eccentric phase duration on concentric bar velocity and power output during competitive Paralympic bench press. Methods Thirteen competitive Para Powerlifting athletes (8 women, 5 men) performed single repetitions at 80% of 1RM under six conditions: purely concentric (CONPUR), volitional eccentric without pause (ECCVNP), volitional eccentric with a competition-valid pause (ECCVOL), and controlled eccentric phases of 2 s (ECCFAS), 4 s (ECCMED), and 6 s (ECCSLO), all including a competition-valid pause except CONPUR and ECCVNP. Peak and mean concentric velocity and power were obtained via high-speed video. Differences among conditions were analyzed with one-way repeated-measures ANOVA, Bonferroni-adjusted pairwise comparisons, and partial eta squared ( η p 2 ) as effect size. Results Condition significantly affected peak velocity ( p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.437), mean velocity ( p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.522), peak power output ( p = 0.001, η p 2 = 0.379), and mean power output ( p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.434). ECCVNP produced the highest velocity and power values, while ECCSLO produced the lowest. Eccentric duration differed significantly across eccentric conditions ( p < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.988), while pause duration did not ( p = 0.140, η p 2 = 0.139). Conclusion Faster eccentric actions, particularly volitional tempos under 4s, were associated with greater concentric velocity and power, whereas prolonged eccentric durations reduced concentric performance in competitive Paralympic bench press.