Lower Extremity EMG in Male and Female College Soccer Players during Single-Leg Landing

Abstract

Context:Gender differences in muscle activity during landing have been studied as a possible contributing factor to the greater incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women.Objective:To compare root-mean-square (RMS) electromyography (EMG) of selected lower extremity muscles at initial contact (IC) and at peak knee internal-rotation (IR) moment in men and women during landing.Design:Preexperimental design static-group comparison.Setting:Motion-analysis laboratory.Participants:16 varsity college soccer players (8 men, 8 women).Main Outcome Measures:EMG activity of the gluteus medius, lateral hamstrings, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris during landing.Results:When RMS EMG of all muscles was considered simultaneously, no significant differences were detected between genders at IC or at peak knee IR moment.Conclusion:Male and female college soccer players display similar relative muscle activities of the lower extremity during landing. Gender landing-control parameters might vary depending on the technique used to analyze muscle activity.