Abstract:

The objective of the current research is to study bilateral and ipsilateral knee isocinetic strength rates in elite footballers. The study included 30 men (age 24,15 years, height 177,59 cm, weight 72,07 kg and VKI 23,09 kg/m2) who had at least 10 years of football training history. In the calculation of the bilateral quadpceps/quadriceps (Q/Q) and ipsilateral hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q) ratio of the subjects, the dominant (DT) and nondominant (NDT) sides were tested at 60osn-1, 180osn-1 and 240osn-1 angle speeds with concentric/concentric (Kon/Kon) knee extension (EKS) and flexion (FLEK) isocinetic strength. The comparison of the strengths of DT and NDT, bilateral and ipsilateral strength rates was used paired sample t-test. In the 60osn-1, 180osn-1 and 240osn-1 angle speeds, the isochinetic knee ECS and FLEK forces of the DT and NDT sides were compared with the 60osn-1, 180osn-1 and 240osn-1 angle speeds of all the ECS phase found statistical significance in the DT favour (p<0,05). Lateral asymmetry rates were found to be meaningful at only 60osn-1 angle speed in both ipsilateral H/Q and bilateral O/Q and H/H ratio comparison (p<0,05). As a result, in the elite footballers, it was determined that the DT sides produced higher strength at all angle speeds than the NDT sides, high strength required 60osn-1 angle speed showed both bilateral and ipsilateral strength differences. These findings showed that footballers tend to be disabled in high-angle spots that require fast but low strength are similar in both extremities, but low-angle speeds show both bilateral and ipsilateral asymmetrical differences. Although statistically meaningful, the asymmetric differences that occur at 60osn-1 angle speed are in the 60-70% bilateral for ipsilateral indicated in literature and the 90-100% bilateral for ipsilateral indicated that footballers are in a safe range for knee disorders.

Keywords: