Analyzing the Magnitude of Interlimb Asymmetries in Young Female Soccer Players: A Preliminary Study

Javier Raya-González, Filipe Manuel Clemente and Daniel Castillo
Additional contact information
Javier Raya-González: Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Isabel I, 09001 Burgos, Spain
Filipe Manuel Clemente: Sports Sciences Department, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Escola Superior de Desporto e Lazer, Melgaço, 4900-347 Viana do Castelo, Portugal
Daniel Castillo: Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Isabel I, 09001 Burgos, Spain

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 2, 1-13

Abstract: Although asymmetries in lower limbs have been linked with players’ performance in male soccer players, literature that has been published addressing female soccer is scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was twofold: (i) describe the asymmetries of women soccer players during jumping, change-of-direction and range-of-motion tests; and (ii) test possible relationships between asymmetries and injury risk in female soccer players. Sixteen female players (15.5 ± 1.5 years) performed a battery of fitness tests (i.e., jump ability, change-of-direction ability and passive range-of-motion) and muscle mass analysis via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, through which the specific asymmetry index and the related injury risk were calculated. Significant ( p < 0.05) lower asymmetries in the change-of-direction test were observed in comparison to those observed in jumping and range-of-motion tests; significant ( p < 0.05) lower asymmetries in muscle mass were also reported compared to those found in the change-of-direction and countermovement jump tests. Additionally, increased injury risk for countermovement jump and hip flexion with extended knee range-of-motion (relating to asymmetry values) and for ankle flexion with flexed knee range-of-motion in both legs (relating to reference range-of-motion values), as well as increased individual injury risk values, were observed across all tests. These findings suggest the necessity to implement individual approaches for asymmetry and injury risk analyses.

Keywords: fitness testing; interlimb differences; risk factor; football (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/475/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/2/475/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:2:p:475-:d:477226

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().