Effect of Sex and Level of Activity on Lower-Extremity Strength, Functional Performance, and Limb Symmetry

Context: Strength, functional performance, and limb symmetry are common objective clinical assessments used by clinicians to guide safe return to physical activity following injury. Population-specific unilateral limb outcomes or estimates of limb symmetry of these assessments should be established. Objective: To compare lower-extremity strength, functional performance, and limb symmetry in healthy participants based on sex and level of activity. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: Laboratory. Participants: A total of 117 healthy participants (72 males and 45 females; mass = 73.67 [13.60] kg, height = 1.76 [0.12] m, and age = 21.44 [2.92] y) without history of injury within 6 months were included. Interventions: Participants completed isokinetic concentric and isometric knee extension and flexion strength tasks at 90°/s, 180°/s, and 90°, respectively, and 4 hop tasks (single, cross-over, triple, and 6-m timed) during 1 session. Groups were separated by sex (male and female) and activity level (athlete and nonathlete). Participants rostered on National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (DI) teams were considered as athletes, and non-NCAA DI healthy, uninjured participants were considered as nonathletes. Main Outcome Measures: Limb symmetry index (LSI), maximal voluntary isometric contraction (N·m/kg), peak torque (N·m/kg), average power (N·m/s), distance (m), and time hopped (s) were assessed. LSI was calculated by dividing the lower limb outcome by the higher limb outcome of the nondominant or dominant limb. Group differences were assessed through Mann–Whitney U tests and Cohen’s d effect sizes for all comparisons. Results: LSI differences did not exist between groups. Mean LSIs for all participants ranged between 83.52% (12.54%) and 96.16% (3.82%). On average, males were stronger (range: d = 0.63–1.54), hopped farther (range: d = 1.52–1.63), and hopped faster (range: d = 1.67–1.68) than females. On average, some strength differences existed between athletes and nonathletes, but athletes hopped farther (range: d = 0.71–0.82) and faster (range: d = 0.87–0.88) than nonathletes. Conclusions: Unilateral limb strength and functional performance outcomes differ between sex and activity level, but not limb symmetry. These differences may be important for a clinician’s understanding of normative values of common return-to-play assessment tasks.