Isokinetic Thigh Muscle Ratios in Youth Football: Effect of Age and Dominance

Abstract

This study aimed to analyse the effect of age on muscle peak torque (PT), and Hamstring (H): Quadricep (Q) ratio in elite youth footballers. To date, no study has considered age-group playing level and pubertal development in this population. One hundred and fifty-seven elite youth footballers in the age groups U12 to U18 volunteered to participate in this study, 133 of these were further grouped for pubertal development. Prior to testing subjects completed separate familiarisation, a three minute cycle ergometer warm up (resistance 50-60W), and two sub-maximal repetitions. Concentric and eccentric isokinetic PT measures for reps 2-4 of H and Q muscle action were taken at 60 degrees s (-1). From this, conventional and functional H: Q ratio was calculated along with dominant: non dominant ratio for the concentric Q and H, and eccentric H conditions. Significant main effects were observed for the age/pubertal development group and PT in all muscles and conditions (P<0.05). Of particular interest was a significant main effect for age and Functional H: Q (P<0.05), which suggested a move away from equality at U18. Our study provides normative data for coaches, trainers and clinicians working with youth footballers and may also have connotations for injury prevention and performance.

Sport selection in under-17 male roller hockey

“…Compared to athletes of the same age and young adults in several other team sports (Apostolidis, Nassis, Bolatoglou, & Geladas, 2004;Hoffman, Epstein, Einbinder, & Weinstein, 2000;Potteiger, Smith, Maier, & Foster, 2010), hockey players had poorer short-term outputs (i.e., squat and counter-movement jumps, 25-m sprint and 30-s WAnT). On the other hand, maximal isokinetic strength was comparable to young male athletes in basketball (Buchanan & Vardaxis, 2003Gerodimos et al, 2003) and soccer (Forbes et al, 2009a;Forbes, Sutcliffe, Lovell, McNaughton, & Siegler, 2009b;Iga, George, Lees, & Reilly, 2009).…”

Isokinetic strength of knee flexors and extensors of adolescent soccer players and its changes based on movement speed and age

“…Results are not definite regarding the de velopmental period, fl exors or respectively, extensors, the contraction type and speed measurement. The study of young soccer players aged from 12 to 18 years (Forbes, Sutcliff e et al, 2009) has confi rmed that the absolute PT increases with the chronological age of the players. The rise of PT was almost linear in the age group from 11 to 14 years, then the major PT growth was in the age group from 15 to 18 years and then, in the age group from 18 to 20 years, the growth was almost linear again.…”

Age-Related Differences in Functional Hamstring/Quadriceps Ratio Following Soccer Exercise in Female Youth Players: An Injury Risk Factor

“…Firstly, the importance of joint angle has been highlighted in epidemiological findings, which demonstrate that Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury is most likely to occur near full knee extension (25). However, previous studies have calculated the H/QFUNC using peak torque (PT) values (2,8) which occur in the mid range of joint movement and thus not at the joint angle where injury is most likely to occur.…”

“…Additionally the joint angle where PT occurs for eccentric and concentric muscle actions is almost always different, and therefore using PT should not be used (8). To the authors' knowledge only one study on pubertal males has calculated the H/QFUNC at various angular positions, reporting an increase in the H/QFUNC as the knee approaches full extension (16).…”