The relationship between the growth height velocity curve and muscle flexibility of the lower extremity among junior high school soccer players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between the growth height velocity curve and the muscle flexibility of the lower extremity among junior high school soccer players. There were seventy subjects without injuries of trunk and lower extremities: 4 were in phase I (phase I group); 28 were in phase II (phase II group); and 38 were in phase III (phase III group). An unpaired t-test of the muscle flexibility of the lower extremity between phase II group and phase III group was performed, and the flexibility of the right iliopsoas, left quadriceps, right hamstrings, and left gastrocnemius of the phase III group were significantly lower. The kick movement is one of the competition characteristics of soccer and long-term accumulation of imbalance of growth in bone and muscle/tendon according to the growth spurt influenced this. This study shows the necessity of the longitudinal examination of the relation between the growth height velocity curve and the muscle flexibility, and suggests that there is a possibility of intervention to prevent sport injuries in the growth period.