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THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND THE HAMSTRING TO QUADRICEPS RATIO AMONG ADULT FEMALES

Abstract

J. Murray, M. Jain, R. Chalfie, C. Padilla, K. Wiegand, K. Gunning

Eastern Washington University, Cheney WA

The hamstring to quadriceps strength ratio (HQR) has been studied extensively as an important aspect of knee health in males and females and is one of the most common measures used to estimate muscle strength balance. A lower HQR has been identified as a potential mechanism for various lower extremity injuries, such as anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears, especially in female athletes. While female athletes have greater physical activity levels that may affect HQR ratios, limited research has explored these variables together within the general female population. PURPOSE: To assess the relationship between HQR and physical activity (PA) levels in healthy adult women. METHODS: Participants (n=13, 28.8±7.4 years) self-reported PA levels using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). PA was quantified as MET-minutes of moderate and vigorous activity per week (MVPA). After a self-paced warm-up on the treadmill, peak force of concentric quadriceps and concentric hamstrings action was measured with an isokinetic dynamometer (Biodex 3) at 180°/s. After practice repetitions, the test consisted of three sets of 10 maximum effort repetitions, with 60 seconds of rest between sets. The HQR was calculated as the average peak force of the hamstrings group divided by the average peak force of the quadriceps group. A bivariate correlation was used to assess the relationship between MVPA and the HQR (α=0.05). RESULTS: There was no significant relationship (r=0.071, p=0.817) between MVPA (3204.6±3104.5 MET min/week) and the HQR (58.8±9.5). CONCLUSION: Preliminary results indicate that there is no significant relationship between MVPA and the HQR in healthy adult women. The target sample size for this study is 30 participants, which will provide greater statistical power to detect any relationships between MVPA and the HQR.

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