2020, Volume 16
Knee strength ratios in male judokas: age-related differences
Pavle Malovic1, Dusko Bijelica1, Dragan Atanasov2, Tatjana Trivic3, Miodrag Drapsin4, Nebojsa Trajkovic3, Nebojsa Maksimovic3, Patrik Drid3
1Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Montenegro, Niksic, Montenegro
2Faculty of Sport, University Union – Nikola Tesla, Belgrade, Serbia
3Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
4Medical Faculty, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
Author for correspondence: Patrik Drid; Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia; email: patrikdrid@gmail.com
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Abstract
Background and Study Aim: Asymmetries and muscle imbalances are associated with increased risk for lower limb injuries. This study aimed is the verification of hipothesis that is there a significant difference between judokas of different age categories in the maximum muscular force, as well as in the functional ratio (H/Qfunc) of thigh muscle for both legs.
Materials and Methods: The sample of participants consisted of 25 judo athletes of senior, junior, and cadet age categories, which were roughly uniform by body weight. A sample of the variables used in the study was composed of isokinetic indicators for estimating the muscular force of the flexors and extensors of knee joint at two angular velocities and two contraction modes. To analyze differences between samples included in this study were used a univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and LSD Post Hoc test.
Results: There were statistically significant differences in the maximum muscular strength between the examined groups and that there were no statistically significant differences in the H/Qfunc ratio of the thigh muscles of the examinees. The trend of growth of muscular force from cadet to senior age category was observed, as well as the decline of muscular symmetry with the increase in the age category of examinees.
Conclusions: Although no differences were confirmed in each variable for the assessment of muscle strength, there was an evident trend of increasing muscle strength from cadet to senior age category. Also, in many cases of assessed angular velocities and types of muscle contractions, the symmetry of thigh muscles decreased as the age category increased.Based on the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that judo does not lead to functional asymmetry of the thigh muscles of athletes who belong to different age categories.
Key words: velocity, isokinetic training, injury, dynamic asymmetry