Countermovement Jump Performance Is Related to Ankle Flexibility and Knee Extensors Torque in Female Adolescent Volleyball Athletes

Vassilios Panoutsakopoulos; Eleni Bassa

doi:10.3390/jfmk8020076

Countermovement Jump Performance Is Related to Ankle Flexibility and Knee Extensors Torque in Female Adolescent Volleyball Athletes

J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2023 Jun 7;8(2):76. doi: 10.3390/jfmk8020076.

Authors

Vassilios Panoutsakopoulos¹, Eleni Bassa²

Affiliations

¹ Biomechanics Laboratory, School of Physical Education and Sport Science at Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.
² Laboratory of Evaluation of Human Biological Performance, School of Physical Education and Sport Science at Thessaloniki, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece.

Abstract

Ankle flexibility and isokinetic knee torque/power generating capacity were previously suggested to contribute or to be correlated to the vertical countermovement jump (CMJ) performance. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the passive ankle joint dorsi flexion (θ_PDF) and the knee muscle's isokinetic torque and power on the CMJ in adolescent female volleyball players. The θ_PDF at a knee extension angle of 140 degrees were measured for 37 female post-pubertal volleyball players. Then, the players were assigned to either the flexible (n = 10) or inflexible (n = 14) groups according to earlier recommended criteria. Testing included the CMJ with and without an arm swing, and maximal knee extensions and flexions in 3 angular velocities on an isokinetic dynamometer. CMJ height performed with or without an arm swing (r₍₂₂₎ = 0.563, p = 0.040 and r₍₂₂₎ = 0.518, p = 0.009, respectively) and relative power (r₍₂₂₎ = 0.517, p = 0.010 and r₍₂₂₎ = 0.446, p = 0.030, respectively) were positively correlated with the extensors' torque at 180°/s and were negatively correlated with the flexibility level of the dominant side ankle (r₍₂₂₎ = -0.529, p = 0.008 and r₍₂₂₎ = -0.576, p = 0.030, respectively). A moderate positive correlation was also revealed between the CMJ height with and without an arm swing and the power of the non-dominant knee extensors (r₍₂₂₎ = 0.458, p = 0.024 and r₍₂₂₎ = 0.402, p = 0.049, respectively) and flexors (r₍₂₂₎ = 0.484, p = 0.016 and r₍₂₂₎ = 0.477, p = 0.018, respectively). Results of the 2 × 2 repeated ANOVA measurements revealed that flexible players jumped significantly (p < 0.05) higher during the CMJs, whilst there was a group effect only on the isokinetic knee extensor muscles' torque. In conclusion, a more flexible ankle joint and a higher isokinetic knee extensor's torque generating capacity resulted in higher CMJ performance. Therefore, ankle flexibility should be emphasized in training and is suggested to be included in preseason screening tests of youth female volleyball players.

Keywords: ankle dorsiflexion; biomechanics; isokinetics; laterality; power; pubescent; range of motion; sports performance; stretch–shortening cycle; vertical jumps.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.