Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot Study
# Background Assessing lower extremity strength and performance is common practice in sports medicine. Sport-specific demands could impact the amount of leg strength asymmetry between the dominant and non-dominant leg present in athletes. # Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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North American Sports Medicine Institute
2025-06-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.137955 |
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| author | Julia L Rapicavoli Luis A Feigenbaum Kathryn E Roach Eryn K Milian |
| author_facet | Julia L Rapicavoli Luis A Feigenbaum Kathryn E Roach Eryn K Milian |
| author_sort | Julia L Rapicavoli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | # Background
Assessing lower extremity strength and performance is common practice in sports medicine. Sport-specific demands could impact the amount of leg strength asymmetry between the dominant and non-dominant leg present in athletes.
# Hypothesis/Purpose
The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the amount of lower limb strength asymmetry between the dominant and non-dominant of female collegiate athletes across different sports.
# Study Design
Case control study.
# Methods
A total of 43 female Division I collegiate athletes from soccer, tennis, and volleyball teams participated in the study. Subjects were separated into groups based on participation in a jumping sport (volleyball) versus a cutting sport (soccer and tennis). Differences in concentric quadriceps peak torque between the dominant and non-dominant legs at 60 deg/sec, measured using the Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer, were compared across groups. Athletes of each sport type were classified as “dominant stronger”, “equal”, or “non-dominant stronger” based on the differences between leg strength using a cut-off value of a difference of 10ft-lbs of torque. Odds ratios were calculated to determine the association between sport exposure and quadriceps strength on the dominant side.
# Results
Jumping athletes were 30 times (OR=29.96 (CI 95%, 1.56 - 577.25) more likely than cutting athletes to have a stronger dominant quadriceps. In jumping athletes, the participants were distributed almost evenly across the “dominant stronger”, “non-dominant stronger”, and “equal” groups. In cutting athletes, 76.9% fell into the “equal” category, while the remaining 23.1% fell into the “non-dominant stronger” category.
# Conclusion
Female collegiate jumping athletes were much more likely to have a stronger quadriceps on the dominant vs non-dominant leg than were cutting athletes. This information can be used to help develop specific strength and conditioning and rehabilitative programs for female athletes.
# Level of Evidence
Level 3 |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c8168713e9bb444c83b7e5b99e09791e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2159-2896 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | North American Sports Medicine Institute |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| spelling | doaj-art-c8168713e9bb444c83b7e5b99e09791e2025-08-20T03:22:39ZengNorth American Sports Medicine InstituteInternational Journal of Sports Physical Therapy2159-28962025-06-0120610.26603/001c.137955Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot StudyJulia L RapicavoliLuis A FeigenbaumKathryn E RoachEryn K Milian# Background Assessing lower extremity strength and performance is common practice in sports medicine. Sport-specific demands could impact the amount of leg strength asymmetry between the dominant and non-dominant leg present in athletes. # Hypothesis/Purpose The purpose of this pilot study was to explore the amount of lower limb strength asymmetry between the dominant and non-dominant of female collegiate athletes across different sports. # Study Design Case control study. # Methods A total of 43 female Division I collegiate athletes from soccer, tennis, and volleyball teams participated in the study. Subjects were separated into groups based on participation in a jumping sport (volleyball) versus a cutting sport (soccer and tennis). Differences in concentric quadriceps peak torque between the dominant and non-dominant legs at 60 deg/sec, measured using the Biodex System 3 isokinetic dynamometer, were compared across groups. Athletes of each sport type were classified as “dominant stronger”, “equal”, or “non-dominant stronger” based on the differences between leg strength using a cut-off value of a difference of 10ft-lbs of torque. Odds ratios were calculated to determine the association between sport exposure and quadriceps strength on the dominant side. # Results Jumping athletes were 30 times (OR=29.96 (CI 95%, 1.56 - 577.25) more likely than cutting athletes to have a stronger dominant quadriceps. In jumping athletes, the participants were distributed almost evenly across the “dominant stronger”, “non-dominant stronger”, and “equal” groups. In cutting athletes, 76.9% fell into the “equal” category, while the remaining 23.1% fell into the “non-dominant stronger” category. # Conclusion Female collegiate jumping athletes were much more likely to have a stronger quadriceps on the dominant vs non-dominant leg than were cutting athletes. This information can be used to help develop specific strength and conditioning and rehabilitative programs for female athletes. # Level of Evidence Level 3https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.137955 |
| spellingShingle | Julia L Rapicavoli Luis A Feigenbaum Kathryn E Roach Eryn K Milian Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot Study International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| title | Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot Study |
| title_full | Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot Study |
| title_fullStr | Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot Study |
| title_short | Comparing the Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Strength of Division I Collegiate Female Cutting Athletes to Jumping Athletes: A Pilot Study |
| title_sort | comparing the dominant and non dominant leg strength of division i collegiate female cutting athletes to jumping athletes a pilot study |
| url | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.137955 |
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