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Muscle Imbalances: Testing and Training Functional Eccentric Hamstring Strength in Athletic Populations
Published on: May 1, 2018
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Single Leg Bridge Test is Not a Valid Clinical Tool to Assess Maximum Hamstring Strength
Gabriela Bissani Gasparin1, João Breno Araujo Ribeiro-Alvares1, Bruno Manfredini Baroni1
1Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre.
International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy
|June 13, 2022
Summary
The single leg bridge test (SLBT) does not accurately estimate hamstring strength in soccer players. This test should not be used clinically for assessing hamstring muscle capacity due to poor associations with isokinetic measures.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- The single leg bridge test (SLBT) is used in sports for estimating hamstring muscle capacity.
- It is applied in injury prevention and rehabilitation strategies for hamstring strain injuries.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the association between SLBT scores and concentric/eccentric knee flexor peak torques.
- To investigate the relationship between SLBT-derived between-limb asymmetries and isokinetic test asymmetries.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 100 male soccer players (20±3 years).
- Participants performed the SLBT and bilateral isokinetic knee flexion-extension tests (60°/s).
- Associations were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficient.
Main Results:
- A poor association was found between SLBT scores and both concentric (r=0.275) and eccentric (r=0.215) peak torques.
- SLBT between-limb asymmetry showed a poor association with concentric asymmetry (r=0.213) and no association with eccentric asymmetry (r=0.062).
Conclusions:
- The single leg bridge test demonstrates a poor correlation with objective measures of hamstring strength.
- The SLBT is not recommended as a clinical tool for assessing maximal hamstring muscle strength.
