Second league professional soccer players produced slightly lower conventional strength ratios in the left leg compared to first league athletes (ES 0.36, p=0.023).
Cross-Sectional (n=159)
Yes
Do muscle strength imbalances differ between first and second league professional soccer players?
There is no clear link between competitive level and injury risk based on muscle strength imbalances, though minor differences in conventional strength ratios exist.
Effect estimate: ES 0.36
p-value: p=0.023
Strength imbalances between the hamstrings and quadriceps are an essential predictor for hamstring strain in soccer. The study aimed to investigate and compare the muscle strength imbalances of professional soccer players of different performance levels. One hundred and fifty nine senior male professional soccer players from first (n = 75) and second league (n = 84) Portuguese clubs participated in this study. Muscle strength was evaluated with a REV9000 isokinetic dynamometer. Maximal peak torque data were used to calculate quadriceps and hamstrings strength during concentric and eccentric actions, bilateral asymmetry, conventional strength ratios and dynamic control ratios. Second league athletes produced slightly lower conventional strength ratios in the right and left legs (ES = 0.22, p = 0.17 and ES = 0.36, p = 0.023, respectively) compared to the first league athletes. No significant differences were found in dynamic control ratios or in bilateral asymmetry among first and second league athletes. These findings do not show a clear link between the competitive level and injury risk in soccer players. However, some of the differences found, particularly in conventional strength ratios, highlight the importance of performing off-season and pre-season strength assessments to prescribe and adjust individual strength training programs among professional soccer players.
Carvalho et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Muscle strength imbalances (n=159). First league competitive level vs. Second league competitive level was evaluated on Conventional strength ratios in the left leg (ES 0.36, p=0.023). Second league professional soccer players produced slightly lower conventional strength ratios in the left leg compared to first league athletes (ES 0.36, p=0.023).