Investigating Countermovement and Horizontal Jump Asymmetry in Female Football Players: Differences Across Age...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Female Athlete Performance

Background:

• Lower limb asymmetry impacts performance and injury risk in football.
• Limited research exists on age-related asymmetry in female football players.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate countermovement jump (CMJ) and horizontal jump (HJ) asymmetry in female football players across different age categories (U14, U16, U18, +18).

Main Methods:

• Seventy-six female football players performed unilateral CMJ and HJ tests.
• One-way ANOVA and Chi-square tests analyzed age-related differences in asymmetry.

Main Results:

• CMJ asymmetry significantly varied by age group (p < 0.001), highest in U14, lowest in +18.
• HJ asymmetry was consistently low across all age groups (p = 0.113).
• CMJ asymmetry showed a significant association with age (p = 0.003).

Conclusions:

• CMJ asymmetry is more prevalent in younger female players and decreases with age, suggesting neuromuscular development influences this reduction.
• Monitoring asymmetry is crucial for optimizing training and injury prevention strategies in female football.