Lateral and functional asymmetries in the lower limbs of college-level female handball players

• Autor(a) principal: Barreto, Renan Vieira [UNESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Assumpção, Claudio Oliveira, de Menezes Bassan, Natália [UNESP], Cardozo, Adalgiso Coscrato [UNESP], Greco, Camila Coelho [UNESP], Denadai, Benedito Sérgio [UNESP], Pinto, Ronei Silveira, Lima, Leonardo Coelho Rabello [UNESP], Zanesco, Angelina [UNESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1980-657420210013221; http://hdl.handle.net/11449/233947
• topic: Hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio; Proprioception; Strength; Team sports

Aim: The present study aimed to screen for differences in isokinetic peak torque, hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio, and proprioception within the lower limbs of female handball athletes. Methods: Twelve college-level female handball athletes with no previous experience with resistance training performed five maximal isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors and knee flexors to determine isokinetic peak torque and hamstring-to-quadriceps ratios. Proprioception was determined by assessing passive position sense on an isokinetic dynamometer. Results: The athletes presented significantly greater (p < 0.01) knee extensors isometric peak torque for the jumping limb (144.9 ± 23.1) when compared to the non-jumping limb (132.9 ± 21.5). The Hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio was below 0.6 for both limbs, being significantly greater (p < 0.01) for the non-jumping limb (0.56 ± 0.08) when compared to the jumping limb (0.50 ± 0.08). Conclusion: Female handball athletes that do not engage in resistance training can experience functional bilateral asymmetries in the knee extensors and knee-joint instability, as assessed by the hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio due to the asymmetric characteristics of handball. Regular strength training might correct such asymmetries and instabilities.