Open AccessJump performance in male and female football players
Author(s) -
Arundale Amelia J. H.,
Kvist Joanna,
Hägglund Martin,
Fältström Anne
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.806
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1433-7347
pISSN - 0942-2056
DOI - 10.1007/s00167-019-05747-1
Subject(s) - valgus , sagittal plane , jump , medicine , ankle , jumping , coronal plane , physical therapy , knee flexion , football , football players , physical medicine and rehabilitation , orthodontics , surgery , anatomy , physiology , physics , quantum mechanics , political science , law
Purpose To examine differences between men and women football players in clinically feasible jumping measures. Methods Female football players ( N = 46, ages 16–25) were matched based on age, training frequency, and playing position with 46 male players. All players performed the tuck jump and drop vertical jump (DVJ). DVJ was assessed quantitatively for valgus knee motion and probability of a high peak knee abduction moment (pKAM), as well as sagittal plane hip, knee, and ankle angles, and qualitatively with visual assessment of the player's knees upon landing; graded as good, reduced, or poor control. Result Women had higher total tuck jump scores (5 ± 2) (more technique flaws), than men (3 ± 2, P < 0.01). The quantitative analysis of the DVJ found that men had greater asymmetries between limbs, but women landed bilaterally in more knee valgus (interaction P = 0.04, main effect of sex P = 0.02). There was no difference in pKAM (interaction n.s.). Women also landed in less hip flexion ( P = 0.01) and ankle dorsiflexion ( P = 0.01) than men. The qualitative DVJ analysis found that more women (48%) had poor knee control compared to men (11%, P < 0.01). Conclusions The results indicate that women perform worse on the tuck jump assessment than men. The results support previous findings that women land in more knee valgus than men, but also found that men may have larger asymmetries in knee valgus. These results from clinically feasible measures provide some suggestions for clinicians to consider during ACL reconstruction rehabilitation to enhance performance.