Impact of two soccer seasons on the magnitude and direction of interlimb asymmetry in elite youth male players
Article
Ribeiro, N., Gonzalo-Skok, O., Loureiro, N., Ferreira, R., Araújo, J., Bishop, C. and Tavares, F. 2026. Impact of two soccer seasons on the magnitude and direction of interlimb asymmetry in elite youth male players. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000005550
| Type | Article |
|---|---|
| Title | Impact of two soccer seasons on the magnitude and direction of interlimb asymmetry in elite youth male players |
| Authors | Ribeiro, N., Gonzalo-Skok, O., Loureiro, N., Ferreira, R., Araújo, J., Bishop, C. and Tavares, F. |
| Abstract | Aim: This study examined the influence of two competitive seasons on the magnitude and direction of interlimb asymmetry across countermovement jump (CMJ), change of direction (COD) speed, and isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) in elite male youth soc-cer players. Methods: Sixty academy players (U14–U17) were assessed at six time points across two seasons. Performance testing included unilateral CMJ, the 505 change of direction (COD) test, and unilateral IMTP. Biological maturation was esti-mated as the percentage of the predicted adult height (%PAH). The magnitude of asymmetry was calculated using the standard percentage difference equation, and di-rectional consistency was evaluated using Cohen’s kappa coefficients. Results: COD asymmetry displayed moderate-to-almost-perfect directional consistency between the first two time points (κ = 0.55–0.66), but the agreement declined to poor-to-fair levels across later assessments (κ = −0.15 to 0.32; TP3–TP6). In contrast, CMJ and IMTP demonstrated predominantly poor-to-slight directional agreement across all time points (κ = −0.33 to 0.40), indicating substantial instability in limb dominance. Throughout the longitudinal period, maturation did not meaningfully influence asym-metry magnitude in any performance measure. Conclusions: Interlimb asymmetry in elite youth soccer players is dynamic, task-specific, and largely independent of the task. COD asymmetry showed brief early season directional stability, whereas CMJ and IMTP asymmetry directions fluctuated considerably over time. These findings un-derscore the need for repeated task-specific monitoring and caution against overinter-preting small asymmetries or assuming maturational effects on interlimb differences. |
| Sustainable Development Goals | 3 Good health and well-being |
| Middlesex University Theme | Health & Wellbeing |
| Publisher | Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins |
| Journal | The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research |
| ISSN | 1064-8011 |
| Electronic | 1533-4287 |
| Publication dates | |
| Online | 03 Jun 2026 |
| Publication process dates | |
| Accepted | 01 Jun 2026 |
| Deposited | 08 Jun 2026 |
| Output status | Published |
| Accepted author manuscript | File Access Level Open |
| Copyright Statement | This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The published version of record: Ribeiro, Nuno1,2; Gonzalo-Skok, Oliver3; Loureiro, Nuno2; Ferreira, Ruben2; Araújo, João P.2; Bishop, Chris4; Tavares, Francisco2. Impact of Two Soccer Seasons on the Magnitude and Direction of Interlimb Asymmetry in Elite Youth Male Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research ():10.1519/JSC.0000000000005550, June 3, 2026. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000005550 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000005550 |
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000005550 |
https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/368758
Restricted files
Accepted author manuscript
13
total views2
total downloads2
views this month0
downloads this month