Taekwondo (TKD) is characterized by high-speed movements combinations with jumping, turning, punching and kicking. Particularly, lower extremity strength and quadriceps and hamstring strength ratios are important factors for performance enhancement an...
Taekwondo (TKD) is characterized by high-speed movements combinations with jumping, turning, punching and kicking. Particularly, lower extremity strength and quadriceps and hamstring strength ratios are important factors for performance enhancement and injury prevention. However, insufficient studies regarding age-related lower extremity strength and strength ratios may limit to provide training guidelines for youth TKD athletes. This study was examined to compare the age-related differences of isokinetic muscle strength and hamstring to quadriceps strength (H/Q) ratios in youth TKD athletes.
Sixty-three healthy youth TKD athletes (Seventeen male U14, Eighteen male U15, Thirteen male U16 and Fifteen male U17) voluntarily participated in the study. Physique measurements included standing height, sitting height and body weight. The skeletal maturity was assessed by portable x-ray scans (CORUS, Y. Cm, Growth Well Co, Korea). RUS (Radius, Ulna, and Short bone) score and bone age were calculated using the Tanner-Whitehouse 3rd (TW3) method. Maximal isokinetic muscle strength of knee extension and flexion were measured at different angular velocities (60°·s-1, 120°·s-1 & 240°·s-1) and at different contraction modes (concentric and eccentric contractions) with an isokinetic dynamometer (Cybex 770, USA). Conventional and Functional H/Q ratios were calculated. Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to compare muscle strength and strength ratios by age group and velocities. When statistically significant interaction effects or main effects were observed, post-hoc test was performed. The statistical significance level was set at 0.05.
There were significant differences in concentric and eccentric muscle strengths of knee extension and flexion by age groups and angular velocities (p < .01). U14 group revealed a significant lower concentric and eccentric muscle strength than U16 and U17 groups. In the concentric contraction, maximal muscle strength increased as the angular velocity decreased whereas maximal muscle strength increased as the angular velocity increased in the eccentric contraction (p < .01). No significant differences in conventional and functional H/Q ratios were observed between the age groups. However, both conventional and functional H/Q ratios were significantly increased as the angular velocities increased (p < .05). The conventional H/Q ratios were ranged from 53 to 61% at slower velocity (60°·s-1), and from 62-67% at higher velocity (240°·s-1). In the functional H/Q ratios, it was ranged from 100 to 130% at slower velocity (60°·s-1) and from 200 to 240% at higher velocity (240°·s-1).
This study revealed that U14 group has lower muscle strength of knee extension and flexion compared to U16 and U17 groups and the strength has been changed by angular velocities and contraction modes. However, our results showed no significant differences in conventional and functional H/Q strength ratios by age groups among youth Taekwondo athletes. Interestingly, most of participants did not meet the reference value of conventional H/Q ratio (> 60%) for preventing non-contact injuries such as hamstring strain. In the future studies, sport-related differences of isokinetic muscle strength and strength ratios may be needed to provide sports-specific reference values in youth athletes.