Between-Days Reliability of Hop Performance and Lower Extremities Muscle Strength Tests

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the between-days reliability of single leg hop performance (horizontal hop and crossover hop for distance), and the reliability of muscle strength of hip extensors, knee flexors and extensors, and ankle plantar flexors during isometric and isokinetic (concentric and eccentric) testing, with a time interval of 7 days separating the 2 testing session. The study comprised of ten male recreationalathletes (age 32.9 ± 3.9 years; height 171.2 ± 6.1 cm; weight 84.4 ± 19.2 kg). Each participant performed 3 trails of single leg and crossover hop tests for both legs separately, 3 trails of isometric tests using hand-held dynamometry (HHD) for each muscle group, and 3 trials of isokinetic muscle tests throughout 5 maximal effort trials using a Biodex system (testing speed 60°/s). Interclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) ranged from 0.926 to 0.994 for the hop tests, the isometric tests ranged from 0.586 to -0.797, and from 0.619 to 0.958 for the isokinetic tests. The results indicate that the tests are reliable for the use with subjects in a sporting field or clinical environment.