Do Outcome or Movement Strategy Variables Provide Better Insights into Asymmetries During Multiple-Hops?
Date
Authors
Sharp, Anthony
Neville, Jonathon
Nagahara, Ryu
Wada, Tomohito
Cronin, John
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
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Publisher
MDPI AG
Abstract
Multiple-hops performed horizontally in series effectively assess return-to-play readiness, as they mimic the propulsive and decelerative demands of sports. Movement strategy variables (kinetic variables) offer more insight into injury recovery than outcome-based measures (kinematic variables) like hop distance alone. This study focused on kinematic and kinetic variables to assess asymmetries during triple-hop (3-Hop) and quintuple-hop (5-Hop) tests with 44 male athletes from university sports clubs and teams. The aim was to determine the magnitude and potential direction of asymmetry and compare the sensitivity of kinematic and kinetic variables. Results showed mean kinematic asymmetries below 7.1% (range: 0.00 to 28.9%), while average kinetic asymmetries were as high as 38.8% (range: 0.0% to 95.4%). These findings suggest that kinetic variables are more sensitive in assessing movement strategy, providing more detailed insight into rehabilitation and return-to-play decisions. The study emphasizes the importance of considering both outcome and movement strategy variables in injury recovery. These results have practical applications for clinicians and coaches supporting those in return-to-play scenarios, as well as those addressing performance deficits, therefore offering valuable information to refine exercise prescriptions and athletic program design.Description
Keywords
4201 Allied Health and Rehabilitation Science, 42 Health Sciences, 4207 Sports Science and Exercise, Physical Injury - Accidents and Adverse Effects, Physical Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation
Source
Biomechanics, ISSN: 2673-7078 (Print); 2673-7078 (Online), MDPI AG, 5(3), 67-67. doi: 10.3390/biomechanics5030067
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© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).