Correlação entre desempenho no Side Hop Test e tempo de aceleração isocinética em atletas de futebol de elite: um estudo transversal

Abstract

Introduction: Soccer is the most popular and widely practiced sport worldwide. Muscular asymmetries are risk factors for injuries in soccer players. In this context, isokinetic dynamometry is considered the gold standard for muscle assessment; however, it is expensive and non-functional. Consequently, functional tests such as the side hop test have emerged as an interesting alternative for evaluation. Objective: The objective of this study was to correlate functional performance in the side hop test with the isokinetic acceleration time of knee extensors in elite soccer athletes. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included twenty-two professional soccer players from the same club. Isokinetic dynamometry was performed using five maximal voluntary concentric repetitions at a speed of 60°/s to measure the acceleration time of the knee extensors. The side hop test was conducted by counting the maximum number of single-leg hops performed between two parallel lines 30 cm apart within 30 seconds. Results: No significant correlation was found between the variables for the dominant leg (r = -0.172; p-value = 0.44) or the non-dominant leg (r = 0.221; p-value = 0.32). Conclusion: Under our isokinetic assessment protocol, no correlation was observed between acceleration time measured by isokinetic dynamometry and the side hop test for either lower limb in elite soccer players