Isokinetic Torque Levels for Knee Extensors and Knee Flexors in Soccer Players

Avaliação muscular isocinética da articulação do joelho em atletas das seleções brasileiras infanto e juvenil de voleibol masculino

“…Some authors mention the knee joint injuries as one of the major causes for the absence occurrences in this sport (1,(8)(9)(10) . Ferretti et al report a higher than 40% incidence in the patellar tendinopathy in the elite players, and this injury is the main cause of anterior pain in knee joint (2,4) ; the increase the likelihood of muscle and/or joint injuries has been clinically pointed out as consequence of abnormal torque differences between the agonist/antagonist and/or contralateral muscle groups (11) . Another factor related to the increase in overload of muscle-tendinous structures of the knee joint may be the increasing training intensity and volume in players from different categories.…”

“…Another factor related to the increase in overload of muscle-tendinous structures of the knee joint may be the increasing training intensity and volume in players from different categories. As a consequence, athletes from more advanced categories may present a higher ability to generate knee extensor and flexor strength compared to younger players (11,12) . This fact emphasizes the need to identify differences between athletes from different training levels of practice in the sports.…”

“…Such muscle imbalances may predispose athletes to injuries, as they produce high stress levels into the tissues (11,13) . Being so, it is necessary to set the parameters for the muscle function related to that joint in athletes.…”

“…Being so, it is necessary to set the parameters for the muscle function related to that joint in athletes. For this, the isokinetic dynamometry allows a quick and reliable quantification of variables related to the muscle performance at several speeds, including the torque, work, agonist/antagonist ratio, and fatigue index (11,14) .…”

“…Furthermore, isokinetic assessment allows identify muscle strength deficits both between the legs and between the agonist and antagonist muscles group in the joint evaluated (11)(12)(13) . There are several studies focusing the use of the isokinetic dynamometer in different populations (11)(12)(13)(14)(15) .…”