Inter-Limb Muscle Property Differences in Junior Tennis Players

The goal of this study was to investigate side-to-side differences and asymmetries regarding muscle characteristics in young tennis players. Thirty-four participants performed contractile property measurements (stiffness, tone, elasticity and time to relaxation) on the dominant and non-dominant extremities including nine muscle groups involved in the kinetic chain of main tennis strokes. Significant differences (p≤0.05) and small-to-moderate effect sizes for greater stiffness and tone were found for the dominant biceps femoris (-11.1% and -5.6%; ES=0.53 and 0.54) and the non-dominant vastus medialis (5.4% and 3.2%; ES=-0.33 and -0.41), while greater tone was present in the non-dominant pectoralis major (4.0%; ES=-0.56). Time to relaxation was increased in the dominant biceps femoris (10.3%; ES=-0.58), the non-dominant pectoralis major (5.1%; ES=-0.56) and the gastrocnemius (9.1%; ES=-0.5). The non-dominant infraspinatus and dominant rectus abdominis showed greater elasticity than contralateral muscles (9.9% and -8.0%; ES=-0.58 and 0.6, respectively). These results reflect the existence of small-to-moderate differences when comparing side-to-side values of contractile characteristics in a small amount of the muscle groups tested. However, passive measurements of a relaxed muscle do not seem to fully reflect possible adaptation and changes derived from gameplay in young tennis players.

Colomar, J., Corbi, F., Baiget, E. (2022). Inter-Limb Muscle Property Differences in Junior Tennis Players. Journal of Human Kinetics, 82, 5-15. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2022-0026

Colomar, J., Corbi, F., and Baiget, E. (2022). Inter-Limb Muscle Property Differences in Junior Tennis Players. Journal of Human Kinetics, 82, pp.5-15. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2022-0026

Colomar, Joshua et al. “Inter-Limb Muscle Property Differences in Junior Tennis Players.” Journal of Human Kinetics, vol. 82, 2022, pp. 5-15. doi:10.2478/hukin-2022-0026.

Colomar J, Corbi F, Baiget E. Inter-Limb Muscle Property Differences in Junior Tennis Players. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2022;82:5-15. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2022-0026