Hip Adduction: Abduction Ratio Differences Between Collegiate Male and Female Soccer Players

Context: Soccer is a high-intensity sport resulting in injuries. Strength ratios have been used to identify areas of weakness and help prevent further injuries. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in hip adduction: abduction ratios in collegiate male and female soccer players. The hypothesis was that males will have a lower ratio than females. Design: Cohort Study. Setting: Research Center. Participants: Five male and nine female NCAA Division 1 soccer players were recruited for this study. Intervention: Independent variable is gender. Biodex Isokinetic Dynamometer was used for data collection. The subjects performed three practice repetitions at 60o/s to become familiar with the speed and movement required for data collection. Following the practice repetitions, the subject performed one set of five repetitions at 60o/s. The dominant side was collected first followed by the non-dominant side. Main Outcome Measures: The dependent variable is hip adduction: abduction ratio. The data was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics were taken for age, height, and body mass. Independent t-test was used to determine if there was a significant difference in hip adduction and hip abduction peak torques and hip adduction: abduction ratios between male and female soccer players. Data was normalized and independent t-tests was used to determine if a significant difference was found in hip peak torques. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine if there was a significant correlation between body mass and hip adduction and abduction strength. Results: Males produced a significantly greater hip abduction peak torques in dominant (105.06 ± 17.94 ft-lb) and non-dominant (102.16 ± 18. 68 ft-lb) limbs than females (dominant, 69.2 ± 10.40 ft-lb; non-dominant, 72.57 ± 14.30 ft-lb) for both dominant (p\u3c0.001) and non-dominant (p=0.01) limbs. Absolute hip adduction torque was not significantly different between males (dominant: 45.74 ± 17.62 ft-lb, non-dominant: 43.54 ± 17.75 ft-lb) and females (dominant: 26.99 ± 6.71 ft-lb, non-dominant: 35.58 ± 11.81 ft-lb) (dominant, p=0.08; non-dominant, p=0.33). There was no significant difference in hip adduction: abduction ratio between male and female soccer players in dominant (female: 38.88% ± 6.63%, male: 46.87% ± 25.37%, p=0.52) and non-dominant (female: 48.46% ± 10.75%, male: 43.85% ± 21.14%, p=0.59). A positive correlation was seen in absolute hip abduction strength and body mass in the population as a whole (abduction dominant: r=0.769, p\u3c0.001; abduction non-dominant: r=0.713, p=0.004). When scaled to body mass, there was no significant difference in hip adduction for dominant (female: 0.46 ± 0.13 Nm/kg, male: 0.58 ± 0.25 Nm/kg, p=0.37) and non-dominant (female: 0.60 ± 0.22 Nm/kg, male: 0.54 ± 0.24 Nm/kg, p=0.66) and in abduction for dominant (female: 1.16 ± 0.23 Nm/kg, male: 1.30 ± 0.16 Nm/kg, p=0.28) and nondominant (female: 1.22 ± 0.27 Nm/kg, male: 1.26 ± 0.17 Nm/kg, p=0.77) between genders. There was not a significant correlation between body mass and hip strength scaled to body mass (abduction dominant: r=0.115, p=0.70, abduction non-dominant: r=-0.014, p=0.96; adduction dominant: r=-0.011, p=0.97, non-dominant r=-0.357, p=0.21). Conclusion: Gender does not play a role in hip adduction: abduction ratio. Word Count: 52