Comparisons of Vastus Lateralis Architecture and Biomechanical Characteristics during Drop Landing in Young Football Players

Abstract

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to compare the vastus lateralis (VL) architecture and exercise biomechanics indices during drop landing in young football players. METHODS Fifteen young football players were divided into a long vastus lateralis muscle fascicle length group (LFG, n=8) and short vastus lateralis muscle fascicle length group (SFG, n=7). All of the participants performed drop landing onto the ground reaction force plate from a platform 30 cm high. The muscle activities of the VL, tibialis anterior (TA), and gastrocnemius (GCM), angular velocity, and ground reaction force in the ankle, knee, and hip joints were measured during drop landing. RESULTS The VL muscle activity (p=.032), ankle ground contact angle (p=.027), ankle maximum flexion angle (p=.014), knee maximum flexion angle (p=.007), and ground reaction force per body weight (p=.032) were significantly higher in the LFG than in the SFG. Muscle activity of the TA (p=.017), ankle (p=.033), and hip (p=.045) time to stability and the ground reaction force time to stability (p=.043) were significantly lower in the LFG than in the SFG. Muscle activity of the GCM (p=.053) and knee time to stability (p=.057) tended to be lower in the LFG than in the SFG. CONCLUSIONS These results confirmed that muscle activity, angular velocity, and ground reaction force variables during drop landing are affected by the VL muscle fascicle length in young football players.

Keywords

• vastus lateralis muscle fascicle length
• drop landing muscle activity
• angular velocity
• ground reaction force