Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2023; 44(01): 29-37
DOI: 10.1055/a-1870-4041
Training & Testing

Discriminative Ability of Lower limb Strength and Power Measures in Lacrosse Athletes

Scott W. Talpey
1   Federation University Australia, Institute of Health of Health and Wellbeing, Victoria Australia.
2   Southern Connecticut State University, Human Performance Laboratory, Connecticut USA.
,
Robert Axtell
2   Southern Connecticut State University, Human Performance Laboratory, Connecticut USA.
,
Elizabeth Gardner
3   Yale University, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Connecticut USA.
,
Maggie Maloney
4   Yale University, Department of Athletics, Connecticut USA.
,
Thomas Newman
4   Yale University, Department of Athletics, Connecticut USA.
,
Jason Cordone
4   Yale University, Department of Athletics, Connecticut USA.
,
Mathew O’Grady
1   Federation University Australia, Institute of Health of Health and Wellbeing, Victoria Australia.
› Author Affiliations
› Further Information
Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to compare isokinetic strength, countermovement jump and drop jump variables between high-contributors and low-contributors within NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s lacrosse athletes. Men’s (N=36) and Women’s (N=30) NCAA Division I lacrosse athletes completed strength testing of the quadriceps and hamstring across three speeds (60°·s−1, 180°·s−1, 300°·s−1), countermovement and drop jumps. To determine the discriminative ability of select lower-limb strength and power characteristics participants were categorized as high-contributors (Males N=18, age=20.3±0.4 yrs, height=183.9±5.5 cm, mass=90.8±5.8 kg; Females N=15, age=20.8±0.8 yrs, height=169.3±6.7 cm, mass=64.1±7.2 kg) or low-contributors (Males N=18, age=19.5±0.2 yrs, height=184.1±5.6 cm; mass=87.9±8.1 kg; Females N=15, age=19.7±0.2 yrs, height=169.8±7.0 cm, mass=62.9±7.7 kg ) based upon the number of games the participants competed in during the regular season. Within the male cohort, moderate significant (p<0.05) differences were observed between high-contributors and low-contributors in isokinetic hamstring strength of the left leg at 300°·s−1 (d=0.69) and peak power in countermovement jump (d=0.68). Within the women’s cohort a large (d=0.87) significant difference (p<0.05) in isokinetic strength of the left hamstring was observed between high-contributors and low-contributors at 60°·s−1. Hamstring strength and lower-limb power are important strength measures for lacrosse performance and should be prioritized in training prescription for lacrosse athletes.

Key words

countermovement jump - drop jump - female athlete - performance


Publication History

Received: 20 September 2021

Accepted: 04 June 2022

Accepted Manuscript online:
07 June 2022

Article published online:
07 October 2022

© 2022. Thieme. All rights reserved.

Georg Thieme Verlag KG
Rüdigerstraße 14, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany

 

  • References

  • 1 Calder AR. Physical profiling in lacrosse: a brief review. Sport Sci Health 2018; 14: 475-483
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Hauer R, Tessitore A, Hauer K, Tschan H. Activity profile of international female lacrosse players. J Strength Cond Res 2021; 35: 3201-3212
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 US Lacrosse. 2018 Participation Report. Website https://www.uslacrosse.org/about-us-lacrosse/participation-survey Published 2019. Accessed November 2020
    PubMed
  • 4 Hoffman JR, Ratamess NA, Neese KL. et al. Physical performance characteristics in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III champion female lacrosse athletes. J Strength Cond Res 2009; 23: 1524-1529
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Kulakowski E, Lockie RG, Johnson QR. et al. Relationships of lower-body power measures to sprint and change of direction speed among NCAA division II women’s lacrosse players: an exploratory study. Int J Exerc Sci 2020; 13: 1667-1676 2020
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Young WB, Newton RU, Doyle TLA. et al. Physiological and anthropometric characteristics of starters and non-starters and playing positions in elite Australian Rules football: a case study. J Sci Med in Sport 2005; 8: 333-345
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Sell KM, Prendergast JM, Ghigiarelli JJ. et al. Comparison of physical fitness parameters for starters and nonstarters in an NCAA division I men’s lacrosse team. J Strength Cond Res 2018; 32: 3160-3168
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Kerr ZY, Ross KG, Lincoln AE. et al. Injury incidence in youth, high school and NCAA men’s lacrosse. Pediatrics 2019; 143: e20183482
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Kerr ZY, Quigley A, Yeargin SW. et al. The epidemiology of NCAA men’s lacrosse injuries, 2009/10-2014/15 academic years. Inj Epidemiol 2017; 4: 9-11
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 Jones PA, Bampouras TM. A comparison of isokinetic and functional methods of assessing bilateral strength imbalance. J Strength Cond Res 2010; 24: 1553-1558
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 McCall A, Carling C, Davison M. et al. Injury risk factors, screening tests and preventative strategies: a systematic review of the evidence that underpins the perceptions and practices of 44 football (soccer) teams from various premier leagues. Br J Sports Med 2015; 49: 583-589
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Undheim MB, Cosgrave C, Enda K. et al. Isokinetic muscle strength and readiness to return to sport following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: is there an association? A systematic review and a protocol recommendation. Br J Sports Med 2015; 49: 1305-1310
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Drouin JM, Valovich-McLeod TC, Shultz SJ. et al. Reliability and validity of the Biodex system 3 pro isokinetic dynamometer velocity, torque and position measurements. Eur J Appl Physiol 2004; 91: 22-29
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Vescovi JD, Brown TD, Murray TM. Descriptive characteristics of NCAA division I women lacrosse players. J Sci Med Sport 2007; 10: 334-340
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Talpey SW, Young WB, Beseler B. Effect of instructions on select jump squat variables. J Strength Cond Res 2016; 30: 2508-2513
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Young WB, Pryor JF, Wilson GJ. Effects of instructions on characteristics of countermovement and drop jump performance. J Strength Cond Res 2015; 9: 232-236
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Carroll KM, Wagle JP, Sole CJ, Stone MH. Intrasession and intersession reliability of countermovement jump testing in division-I volleyball athletes. J Strength Cond Res 2019; 33: 2932-2935
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Heishman AD., Daub BD., Miller RM. et al. Countermovement jump reliability performed with and without an arm swing in NCAA Division 1 intercollegiate basketball players. J Strength Cond Res 2018; 34: 546-555
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Fritz CO., Morris PE., Richler JJ. Effect size estimates: Current use, calculations, and interpretation. J Exp Psychol Gen 2012; 141: 2-18
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Vincent HK, Chen C, Zdziarski LA. et al. Shooting motion in high school, collegiate, and professional men’s lacrosse players. J Sports Biomech 2015; 14: 448-458
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Millard B, Mercer JA. Lower extremity muscle activity during a women’s overhand lacrosse shot. J Hum Kinet 2014; 41: 15-22
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Talpey SW, Axtell R, Gardner E, James L. Changes in lower body muscular performance following a season of NCAA division I men’s lacrosse. Sports (Basel) 2019; 7: 18-22
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Rosene JM, Fogarty TD, Mahaffey BL. Isokinetic hamstrings:quadriceps ratio in intercollegiate athletes. J Athl Train 2001; 36: 378-383
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Tsuchiya Y, Ochi E, Sakuraba K, Hwang I. Isokinetic strength and anaerobic / intermittent capacity of Japanese lacrosse players. Isokinet Exerc Sci 2013; 21: 77-82
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Lee A, Vanrenterghem J, De Clercq D. Understanding how an arm swing enhances performance in the vertical jump. J Biomech 2004; 37: 1929-1940
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Risso FG, Jalilvand F, Orjalo AJ. et al. Physiological characteristics of projected starters and non-starters in the field positions from a division I women’s soccer team. Int J Exerc Sci 2017; 10: 568-573
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Johnston K, Wattle N, Schorer J, Baker J. Talent identification in sport: a systematic review. Sports Med 2018; 48: 97-109
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Andrade MDS, De Lira CAB, Koffes FDC. et al. Isokinetic hamstrings-to-quadriceps peak torque ration: the influence of sport modality, gender, and angular velocity. J Sports Sci 2012; 30: 547-553
    Search in Google Scholar
  • 29 Hewett TE, Myer GD, Zazulak BT. Hamstrings to quadriceps peak torque ratios diverge between sexes with increasing isokinetic angular velocity. J Sci Med Sport 2008; 11: 452-459
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 30 Abian J, Alegre LM, Lara AJ, Rubio JA, Aguado X. Landing differences between men and women in a maximal vertical jump aptitude test. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 2008; 48: 305-310
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 31 McMahon JJ, Suchomel TJ, Lake JP, Comfort P. Understanding the key phases of the countermovement jump force-time curve. Strength Cond J 2018; 40: 96-106
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar