Considerations for Selecting Field-Based Strength and Power Fitness Tests to Measure Asymmetries

Bishop, C, Turner, A, Jarvis, P, Chavda, S, and Read, P. Considerations for selecting field-based strength and power fitness tests to measure asymmetries. J Strength Cond Res 31(9): 2635-2644, 2017-The prevalence of lower limb asymmetries has been reported in numerous studies; however, methodological differences exist in the way they can be detected. Strength and jumping-based tasks have been most commonly used to examine these differences across both athlete and nonathlete populations. The aim of this review was to critically analyze the utility of strength and jumping tests that are frequently used to measure asymmetry. Reliability, validity, and considerations for assessment are examined to enhance test accuracy and effectiveness in the quantification of asymmetries during strength and jumping-based tasks. MEDLINE and SPORTDiscus databases were used with specific search terms to identify relevant articles in both athlete and nonathlete populations. The findings of the current review indicate that assessing interlimb differences during strength and jumping-based tasks may result in different levels of asymmetry; thus, interlimb differences seem to be task-dependent. Consequently, quantification during both types of assessment is warranted, and a selection of tests has been suggested to measure asymmetries in both strength and jumping-based tasks.