Journal
SPORTS
Volume 9, Issue 9, Pages -Publisher
MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/sports9090129
Keywords
football; strength; isokinetic; sports; prevention
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The study found that professional soccer players exhibited higher strength levels in the quadriceps and hamstrings, as well as lower inter-limb asymmetry values compared to academy players. Limb dominance was rarely the same between the two groups, indicating differences in muscle performance and balance.
(1) Background: the present study examined the isokinetic peak torque exerted by both knee extensors and flexors, anterior-posterior imbalance and the magnitude and direction of inter-limb asymmetry in professional and academy soccer players. (2) Methods: one hundred soccer players (professional = 50, elite academy = 50) volunteered to take part in this investigation. An isokinetic dynamometer was used to measure the knee extensor (quadriceps) and flexors muscle (hamstrings) torques of the limbs as well as inter-limb asymmetries-using a standard percentage difference equation. (3) Results: professional players exhibited significantly greater (effect size [ES] = large) strength levels in the quadriceps and hamstrings under both testing conditions, significantly higher (small to moderate) intra-limb ratio values for 60 degrees.s(-1) but not for the 300 degrees.s(-1) test condition, significantly (small to moderate) lower inter-limb asymmetry values for all test conditions, with the exception of the hamstrings at 60 degrees.s(-1) and the direction of asymmetry was poor to slight, indicating that limb dominance was rarely the same between groups. (4) Conclusions: this study shows that isokinetic assessments, i.e., peak torque exerted by both knee extensors and flexors and intra-limb ratio, and the subsequent inter-limb asymmetry, i.e., magnitude and direction, can differentiate between professional and academy soccer players.
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