Relationship Between Explosive Strength Capacity of the Knee Muscles and Deceleration Performance in Female Professional Soccer Players.

Qingshan Zhang,Alexandre Fouré,Del P Wong,Christophe A Hautier,Aurélie Léam

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.723041

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between linear deceleration performance and explosive strength capacity of the knee muscles. Fourteen female professional soccer players completed the maximal sprint deceleration tests and knee flexor (KF) and knee extensor (KE) isokinetic concentric (240° and 60°.s−1) and eccentric contractions (30°.s−1). Linear deceleration performance was evaluated from horizontal breaking force (FH), power (PH), and impulse (IH) during a maximal linear deceleration. The peak torque (PT) of KF and KE, PT ratio between KF and KE (conventional and functional H/Q ratio), rate of torque development (RTD) for each muscle group, and RTD between KF and KE (RTD H/Q) were extracted from the isokinetic contractions. Pearson’s correlation coefficients revealed that the eccentric (30°.s−1) and concentric (60°.s−1, 240°.s−1) KE peak torque, and the concentric KF peak torque (240°.s−1) were significantly correlated with FH, PH, and IH (−0.75<r<−0.54). Moreover, a significant correlation was found between KE RTD during eccentric contraction and FH, PH, and IH (−0.63<r<−0.54). Besides, a significant correlation was observed between RTD H/Q at 60°.s−1 and PH, IH (−0.61<r<−0.57). No significant relationship was observed between the H/Q ratio, KF RTD and deceleration performance. These main findings indicated the importance of the ability to quickly produce high KE eccentric torque, contributing to braking force production. Meanwhile, RTD H/Q should be assessed for its essential role in knee joint dynamic stability and can be a relevant index to determine deceleration performance.

Highlights

In most team sports such as soccer or rugby, the ability to decelerate quickly while sprinting at high speed could allow rapid re-acceleration or change-of-direction and overtaking opponents in the decisive situations (Buchheit et al, 2014; Vigh-Larsen et al, 2018)
Strong correlation was found between knee extensor (KE) peak torque (PT) at −30°.s−1 in non-dominant leg (NDL) and Fave (r = −0.71, p = 0.044), Pave (r = −0.70, p = 0.005), Iave (r = −0.68, p = 0.008), Fmax (r = −0.61, p = 0.02), and Imax (r = −0.75, p = 0.002), respectively, accounting for 51, 49, 46, 38, and 56% of the explained variance (Table 5)
Moderate correlations were found between Pmax and KE PT at 240°.s−1 in dominant leg (DL) (r = −0.57, p = 0.033), and NDL (r = −0.58, p = 0.031), accounting for 33 and 34% of the explained variance, respectively

Summary

Introduction

In most team sports such as soccer or rugby, the ability to decelerate quickly while sprinting at high speed could allow rapid re-acceleration or change-of-direction and overtaking opponents in the decisive situations (Buchheit et al, 2014; Vigh-Larsen et al, 2018). Deceleration combined with a change-of-direction or cutting maneuver has been identified as the movement that can induce non-contact injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury (Alentorn-Geli et al, 2009) due to the high level of ACL strain induced by the substantial external knee valgus moment (McLean et al, 2004). Female soccer players are more likely to suffer ACL injury who tended to have decreased knee flexion angle and increased knee valgus angle compared to males during the critical movement (cutting, change-of-direction change-of-direction), which could induce ACL injury due to the excessive anterior shear forces (Yu et al, 2002). The kinematics and kinetics of running sprints and neuromuscular determinants of sprinting performance have been extensively studied in the literature, the mechanical deceleration ability has been less investigated, especially in female soccer players

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Discussion

Conclusion