TITLE:
Lower Limb Force and Power Production and Its Relation to Body Composition in 14-to 15-Year-Old Kosovan Adolescents
AUTHORS:
Faton Tishukaj, Ismet Shalaj, Masar Gjaka, Barbara Wessner, Harald Tschan
KEYWORDS:
Physical Fitness, Limb Asymmetry, Obesity, Overweight, Lower Extremity, Motoric Tests
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Physical Education,
Vol.11 No.1,
February
8,
2021
ABSTRACT: Adiposity-related joint loading and unequal force distribution during jumping tasks place additional stress on soft tissue structures of the non-dominant leg, which may reduce performance and is likely to increase injury risk and the development of musculoskeletal degenerative diseases. Movement-related dysfunctions of children and adolescents are of particular interest because they represent modifiable risk factors that can be targeted by intervention programs, which may decrease degenerative changes later in life. Therefore, this study aims to determine the influence of body weight and obesity on force and power production as well as the prevalence of limb asymmetry in adolescents. A cross-sectional study including 354 adolescents (195 boys: 14.6 ± 0.4 years; 159 girls: 14.5 ± 0.4 years) was performed. Anthropometric parameters and countermovement jump (force and power parameters) were assessed using a dual force plate. Countermovement jump and 20-m sprint performances were significantly influenced by BMI categories (p