Maximal and Explosive Strength of High-Level Alpine Skiers After Severe Lower Extremity Injury: A Retrospective...

Before returning to sport (RTS) following lower extremity injury, competitive alpine skiers' performance strength profiles should be verified. This study examined whether differences in maximal isometric (F_max) and explosive strength (P_max) exist between non-injured (n_INJ) and post-injured (p_INJ) elite skiers (n = 56) after RTS. It also explored whether F_max and P_max values recover differently over time and whether restoration rates differ between males and females. An explorative analysis was conducted to determine differences in back-squat F_max and P_max during squat (SJ) and countermovement jumps (CMJ) without and with additional load. Data were available from before injury and after athletes' RTS for p_INJ or twice across a comparable time span for n_INJ. While differences between n_INJ and p_INJ after rehabilitation are not significant for Fmax, p_INJ generally display significantly lower Pmax (r = 0.34-0.40). Additionally, results suggest that F_max is restored first, followed by P_max without eccentric component (SJ), and that P_max (CMJ) with eccentric component is restored slowest. Further, p_INJ showed lower P_max in loaded jumps even before injury (p = 0.035-0.047, r = 0.36-0.39). Finally, females display generally lower P_max for a given F_max. Overall, these results contribute to improving rehabilitation and prevention.