Asymmetries of Maximum Trunk, Hand, and Leg Strength in Comparison to Volleyball and Fitness Athletes

Abstract

Mattes, K, Wollesen, B, and Manzer, S. Asymmetries of maximum trunk, hand, and leg strength in comparison to volleyball and fitness athletes. J Strength Cond Res 32(1): 57-65, 2018-Playing volleyball and corresponding training loads lead to specific strains and might result in asymmetric muscle pattern. The study aimed to identify volleyball-specific maximum bilateral strength asymmetries in comparison to fitness athletes. The cross-sectional study design compared an age-matched male volleyball group (n = 23; 27.9 ± 5 years) with a fitness group (n = 30; 26.3 ± 3 years). The participants performed an isometric maximum handgrip strength test followed by 2 isokinetic concentric maximum strength tests to determine the performance capacity of the axial trunk rotators (left-right) and bilateral leg extensors. Differences between groups and left-right side (within group) were proven by variance analysis with repeated measurements. There was a left-right difference with higher maximum forces for the rotation in the right direction in the volleyball group (p = 0.0058) but the group interaction effect was not significant after alpha error accumulation. The results of the leg press indicated a stronger left leg in the fitness group (nonsignificant) in comparison to the volleyball group. Overall, the volleyball group displayed symmetry in maximum handgrip and leg strength and asymmetry in trunk rotation with higher strength in right rotation. This asymmetry for the right trunk rotation showed a small effect size. The resulting asymmetry might be an adaptation to the volleyball techniques, but it remains unclear if this is a cause for or of injury. As a practical implication, the asymmetries should be examined to develop individualized strength training programs for both groups.

Determination of flexibility and mobility levels for female physical education students and motor asymmetry analysis

“…These differences seem to be significant in nontrained athletes [18]. According to the literature, the asymmetry levels are less in trained athletes compared to non-trained ones [19][20][21][22]. Therefore, improvements in flexibility and mobility may reduce the asymmetry levels in students.…”

The Association Between Force-Velocity Relationship in Countermovement Jump and Sprint With Approach Jump, Linear Acceleration and Change of Direction Ability in Volleyball Players

“…These findings could present an important consideration for volleyball training optimization. Volleyball players on average perform 250–300 explosive actions in a single game, with more than half of these actions being vertical jumps ( Mattes et al, 2018 ). Furthermore, a study looking into the association between volleyball training duration and number of jumps reported, that players on average performed 63 jumps per training hour ( Bahr and Bahr, 2014 ).…”

Interday Reliability of a Testing Battery to Assess Lateral Symmetry and Performance in Well-Trained Volleyball Players

“…Specifically, it seems that a 15% difference in knee flexors strength is related to an increase in “noncontact injuries” (23). In this line, it has also been reported that strength differences of more than 10% are considered a risk factor for injuries (4,28).…”