Muscle morphology and jump performance: gender and intermuscular variability

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Human Physiology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Understanding gender-based performance disparities in physical activities like jumping is crucial.
• Muscle architecture significantly influences force production and athletic capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate gender differences in jump performance and leg muscle architecture.
• To ascertain if muscle architecture variations explain gender-based jump performance gaps.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-two participants (34 women, 28 men) across various physical activity levels.
• Countermovement jumps (CMJ) assessed for performance.
• Ultrasonography used to analyze vastus lateralis (VL), gastrocnemius medialis (GM), and gastrocnemius lateralis (GL) muscle architecture at rest.

Main Results:

• Men demonstrated significantly higher CMJ height than women (0.388m vs 0.279m).
• Significant gender differences observed in VL muscle thickness and relative fascicle length across VL, GM, and GL muscles.
• VL muscle size showed significant associations with jump performance (r=0.49-0.50).

Conclusions:

• Confirmed gender differences in leg muscle architecture across diverse physical activity backgrounds.
• Gender disparities in VL muscle size partially accounted for observed differences in jump performance.