Comparison of the Kinematic Patterns of Kick Between Brazilian and Japanese Young Soccer Players

Gender differences in instep soccer kicking biomechanics, investigated through a 3D human motion tracker system

BACKGROUND

This study aims at describing and comparing each other male and female soccer players kicking instep a stationary ball. The different measures we collected by the 3D motion capture system Movit G1 and the High-Speed Camera (240 fps) were considered as dependent variables, whereas the gender was considered as the independent one.

METHODS

Twenty soccer well trained non-professional players: 10 men (age: 25.3±6.5 yrs; height 1.80±0.07 m; body mass 76.9±13.2 kg) and 10 women (age: 19±3.34 yrs; height 1.64±0.07 m; body mass 58.2±7.2 kg) volunteered to participate in the study.

RESULTS

Gender differences were found, with a statistical significance (P<0.05) or interesting magnitude (Cohen d>0.5). The most relevant ones were the differences in hip extension of the kicking leg when the foot of the supporting one touches the ground, just before the impact on the ball (independent sample t-Test; P=0.03; Cohen d=1.64) and the speed of the ball, reached immediately after kicking (P<0.001;d=1.23).

CONCLUSIONS

These results, together with the greater pelvic acceleration shown by men compared to women, highlight the need to develop a gender-differentiated training model, in order to customize the kicking technique in women and to reduce the likelihood, currently higher than for men, of kicking related injuries.

Soccer Footedness and Between-Limbs Muscle Strength: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: Limb dominance and consequent between-limbs muscle strength in soccer players should be explored to determine a standard musculoskeletal profile to maintain and establish during screening protocols and postinjury rehabilitation. The primary aim of this review was to identify dominant- vs non-dominant-lower-extremity muscle-strength characteristics of healthy soccer players, with secondary aims to consider available between-limbs outcome measures and directions for future research. Methods: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were followed. Five electronic databases were used for study identification with guidance from a medical librarian. Inclusion criteria consisted of studies employing a cross-sectional design assessing soccer players of all ages, genders, and levels of play that identified limb dominance and associated lower-extremity muscle strength as a main purpose of the experiment. Results: The literature search identified 3471 articles. After screening titles, abstracts, and full texts, 17 articles were included in the review. Peak torques and hamstring-to-quadriceps ratios via isokinetic dynamometry were commonly used, and subsequent meta-analyses were conducted to yield remarkable between-limbs symmetry. Additional results of individual studies also demonstrate symmetry, except 1 article of velocity-dependent measures that reported greater strength in the dominant limb. Conclusions: In soccer, between-limbs muscle strength measured by maximal isokinetic dynamometry demonstrates symmetry across ages, genders, and levels of play. Future testing using alternative measures that more specifically replicate the movement demands of soccer players may further classify between-limbs characteristics.