Sprint cycling performance and asymmetry

Abstract

Rannama, I., Port, K., Bazanov, B., & Pedak, K. (2015). Sprint cycling performance and asymmetry. J. Hum. Sport Exerc., 9(Proc1), pp.S247-S258. The purpose of this study was to examine the asymmetries in cyclist's lower limbs strength and in the pedalling kinematics during a seated sprinting test and to identify the relationships between asymmetries and maximal cycling power. 16 competitive road cyclists (20.6±3.7 yrs., 181.5±5.0 cm, 74.8±7.0 kg) performed 10 Sec isokinetic maximum power test with cadence 120 RPM. The asymmetry of kinematic patterns of cyclist's upper and lower body during pedalling was registered. Separately isokinetic peak torque (PT) of main lover limbs joint were measured at angular speeds 60, 180 and 240 /s. The differences in kinematic patterns and isokinetic PT values between two limbs were analysed for descriptive and inferential statistics (relative share in %, correlations and regression between asymmetry values and cycling power). Conclusion: The highest asymmetries were found in cyclist's upper body kinematics and at the same time the most symmetrical were knee extensors strength values, but both parameters were negatively and significantly correlated with the performance of sprint cycling. By combining the leg extensors muscular strength with asymmetry of knee extensors strength and trunk kinematics the explanatory power of multiple regressions increased markedly from 0.68 to 0.92.

Effects of inter-limb asymmetries on physical and sports performance: a systematic review

“…The stronger limb in the accurate group was the stance limb, which may indicate that a more stable athlete is able to perform unilateral, technical tasks to a higher standard, although further research is warranted to fully corroborate this theory. Furthermore, in a group of competitive cyclists, peak torque asymmetries of the knee extensors (at 180°•sec -1 ) were negatively correlated (r = -0.50; p < 0.05) with power output during a 5-second maximal effort cycling test (Rannama et al, 2015).…”

“…The presence of heightened inter-limb asymmetries would be expected in sporting actions where preferred limb dominance is evident (Schiltz et al, 2009); although limited data are available to support this notion (Hart et al, 2016). Furthermore, inter-limb asymmetries for kinetic and kinematic variables may show different values; thus, not all observed side to side differences may be relevant to the performance outcome (Exell et al, 2016;Rannama et al, 2015). By more clearly understanding the effects of inter-limb asymmetries on physical and sports performance, it will provide practitioners with important information for the design of targeted testing and training strategies.…”

Interlimb Asymmetries: Understanding How to Calculate Differences From Bilateral and Unilateral Tests

“…A recent systematic review examining the effects of between-limb differences on physical and sporting performance demonstrated equivocal findings [8]. In summary, larger lower limb asymmetries in strength may be indicative of reduced jumping ability and power output [1,22]; however, when these differences are quantified during jumping tasks, their effect on locomotive activities appears inconclusive [13,16,18]. From an injury perspective, older literature has suggested that an asymmetry threshold of > 15% marks the point of heightened risk [3,20].…”

Relationships Between Highly Skilled Golfers' Clubhead Velocity and Vertical Ground Reaction Force Asymmetry During Vertical Jumps and an Isometric Midthigh Pull

“…Inter-limb asymmetries have been defined as the force of contraction of two limbs being unequal (26). Research has highlighted associations between asymmetries in strength and a reduction in both kicking accuracy (19) and power output during cycling (35).…”