Determination of Functional Strength Imbalance of the Lower Extremities (original) (raw)

Lower Limb Symmetry: Comparison of Muscular Power Between Dominant and Nondominant Legs in Healthy Young Adults Associated With Single-Leg-Dominant Sports

Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 2017

Achieving a symmetrical power performance (difference <15%) between lower limbs is generally recommended during sports rehabilitation. However, athletes in single-leg-dominant sports, such as professional soccer players, could develop significant asymmetry between their dominant and nondominant legs, such that symmetry does not act as a viable comparison. To (1) compare maximal muscular power between the dominant and nondominant legs in healthy young adults, (2) evaluate the effect of a single-leg-dominant sport activity performed at the professional level, and (3) propose a parameter of normality for maximal power difference in the lower limbs of this young adult population. Controlled laboratory study. A total of 78 healthy, male, young adults were divided into 2 groups according to sport activity level. Group 1 consisted of 51 nonathletes (mean ± SD age, 20.8 ± 1.5 years; weight, 71.9 ± 10.5 kg) who participated in less than 8 hours a week of recreational physical activity wit...

Comparison between gymnasts and non-gymnasts in isometric strength of the lower limbs

European Journal of Translational Myology

Muscle asymmetries in gymnasts are common and can lead to injury. We aimed to determine differences in hip, knee, and ankle strength between female gymnasts and non-gymnasts, and secondly, to determine the effect of strength training intervention. Fifteen gymnasts (aged 11.19 ± 1.89 years) and 15 non-gymnasts (aged 10.92 ± 1.96 years) performed unilateral isometric maximal voluntary contractions of the hip (extensor, flexor, abductor, adductor, internal and external rotator), knee and ankle flexors and extensors on a dynamometer. Inter-limb asymmetries (ILAs) were compared across strength outcomes (MVC torque) and groups. ILAs was calculated based on the strength measurements. The gymnasts were retested after 8 weeks, during which the participants performed 5 weeks of regular training and 3 weeks of targeted strength training intervention. We found significant differences between groups in most observed hip strength parameters, but not in knee and ankle strength. The intervention di...