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Related Concept Videos

Muscles that Move the Leg01:23

Muscles that Move the Leg

The movement of the legs is facilitated by numerous muscles located within the anterior, medial, and posterior compartments of the thigh.
Anterior Compartment
The quadriceps femoris, the most visible muscle of the anterior compartment, is integral for leg extension and thigh flexion. It is formed by merging four distinct muscles — the vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius, and rectus femoris. The quadriceps tendon, a shared tendon of the four quadriceps muscles, is affixed to...
Muscles that Move the Thigh01:20

Muscles that Move the Thigh

The thigh's motion is primarily governed by muscles originating in the pelvic girdle and inserted into the femur. One crucial muscle, the iliopsoas, is a combination of the psoas major and the iliacus muscles, sharing a common insertion point on the lesser trochanter of the femur.
Three other significant muscles are the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, and gluteus minimus. The gluteus maximus originates from the posterior surface of the ilium, sacrum, and coccyx, and the thoracolumbar fascia...

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Muscle Imbalances: Testing and Training Functional Eccentric Hamstring Strength in Athletic Populations
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Published on: May 1, 2018

Inter-limb differences in quadriceps strength and volitional activation.

Brian G Pietrosimone1, Chang M Park, Phillip A Gribble

  • 1Department of Kinesiology, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA. brian.pietrosimone@utoledo.edu

Journal of Sports Sciences
|February 2, 2012
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Strength and voluntary activation inter-limb differences are not strongly correlated in healthy individuals. Researchers and clinicians should use both measures to understand neuromuscular function and inter-limb deficits.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuromuscular Physiology
  • Biomechanics
  • Sports Science

Background:

  • Inter-limb differences in strength and voluntary activation are common.
  • Understanding these differences is crucial for assessing neuromuscular function.
  • Current research lacks clarity on the relationship between strength and activation deficits.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare inter-limb differences in quadriceps strength with those in voluntary activation.
  • To investigate the correlation between inter-limb strength deficits and activation deficits.
  • To determine if strength and activation measurements reflect distinct neuromuscular phenomena.

Main Methods:

  • Crossover study design with 25 healthy volunteers.
  • Isokinetic quadriceps strength measured at 1.05 rad·s⁻¹.
  • Quadriceps voluntary activation assessed using the central activation ratio.
  • Randomized assignment of leg tested, joint angle, and measurement technique.

Main Results:

  • Inter-limb strength differences were significantly greater than inter-limb activation differences across all tested knee flexion angles (P = 0.003).
  • A weak correlation was observed between inter-limb deficits in strength and voluntary activation.
  • These findings suggest that strength and activation measurements may assess different aspects of neuromuscular function.

Conclusions:

  • Normalized inter-limb strength differences do not equate to inter-limb differences in voluntary activation.
  • The weak correlation implies these measures capture distinct neuromuscular characteristics.
  • Clinicians and researchers should integrate both strength and activation data for a comprehensive understanding of inter-limb deficits.