physioscience 2025; 21(S 03): S43
DOI: 10.1055/s-0045-1812455
Abstracts
Poster/Posters

Inter-limb muscle strength differences in female athletes of asymmetrical and symmetrical sports.

Authors

  • A Zind

    1   ZHAW – Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Departement Gesundheit, Winterthur, Switzerland

  • S Friedli

    1   ZHAW – Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Departement Gesundheit, Winterthur, Switzerland
    2   Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche und Medizinische Fakultät, Universität Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland

  • S Vollrath

    3   Universitätsklinik für Frauenheilkunde, Inselspital Bern, Bern, Switzerland

  • N Wieloch

    4   Universitäres Zentrum für Prävention und Sportmedizin, Universitätsklinik Balgrist, Zürich, Switzerland;

  • E Graf

    1   ZHAW – Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften, Departement Gesundheit, Winterthur, Switzerland
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Background In physiotherapy, inter-limb muscle strength differences are clinically relevant for guiding a rehabilitation process following injury. However, such differences may already exist prior to injury. Asymmetrical sports like football or tennis often promote unilateral dominance, whereas symmetrical sports involve more balanced limb use. To account for these potential baseline differences, the purpose of this study was to investigate inter-limb muscle strength differences of lower extremity muscle groups in healthy females practicing asymmetrical and symmetrical sports.

Methods Healthy, adult females practicing asymmetrical and symmetrical sports at a recreational level participated in this study. Maximum isometric muscle strength was measured in standardized positions for hip abduction and adduction, internal and external rotation, flexion and extension, knee flexion and extension and ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion using a digital dynamometer (EasyForce®​, Meloq). Based on their self-reported sports profile, participants were divided into asymmetrical and symmetrical sports group for data analysis. Inter-limb differences in maximum isometric muscle strength in each sports group were investigated using the Mann-Whitney-U-Test.

Results A total of 92 females were included in this study. Of these, 45 were assigned to the asymmetrical sports group (age 26.0±3.8 years, training volume 320.0±97.9 min/week, body weight 62.7±6.5 kg, body height 167.5±5.1 cm) and 47 to the symmetrical sports group (age 26.8±4.0 years, training volume 305.7±124.4 min/week, body mass 61.3±7.1 kg, body height 165.1±5.9 cm). No statistically significant inter-limb differences in maximum isometric muscle strength in the symmetrical and asymmetrical sports group were found (all p≥0.05). Relative inter-limb differences in maximum isometric muscle strength were<10% for each muscle group in both sports groups, mostly in favor of the dominant side.

Conclusion Contrary to our assumption, no significant inter-limb muscle strength differences of lower extremity muscle groups in healthy recreational female athletes were found, regardless of sports group. These findings suggest that, in this population, sport-specific asymmetrical loading does not necessarily result in clinically relevant muscle strength differences in isometric testing. For physiotherapeutic practice, the results indicate that a patient&apos;s sporting background does not necessarily have to be an indicator of the presence of inter-limb muscle strength differences.



Publication History

Article published online:
23 October 2025

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