ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2024 Mar 12

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.24.15382-0

Copyright © 2024 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Exploring the quadriceps muscle architecture variations in various sports disciplines: a comparative analysis of football, taekwondo, and athletics

Rukiye ÇIFTÇI ¹, Ahmet KURTOĞLU ², Bekir ÇAR ³, Erdal KARAVAŞ ⁴, Özgür EKEN ⁵, Mehmet SÖYLER ⁶, Luca P. ARDIGÒ ⁷ ✉, Hadi NOBARI ⁸

¹ Department of Anatomy, Medical Faculty, Gaziantep Islam Science and Technology University, Gaziantep, Türkiye; ² Department of Coaching Education, Faculty of Sport Science, Bandırma Onyedi Eylul University, Bandırma, Türkiye; ³ Faculty of Sport Science, Bandırma Onyedi Eylul University, Bandırma, Türkiye; ⁴ Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty, Bandırma Onyedi Eylul University, Bandırma, Türkiye; ⁵ Department of Physical Education and Sport Teaching, Inonu University, Malatya, Türkiye; ⁶ Department of Private Security and Protection, Vocational School of Social Sciences, Çankırı Karatekin University, Çankırı, Türkiye; ⁷ Department of Teacher Education, NLA University College, Oslo, Norway; ⁸ Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Extremadura, Cáceres, Spain

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to comprehensively investigate and compare the architecture of the quadriceps muscle in football, taekwondo, and athletics, shedding light on potential differences and providing valuable insights for athletic training and performance enhancement.
METHODS: Thirty-five athletes (football[N.]=14. [7 women, 7 men]; taekwondo [N.]=11. [6 women, 5 men]; athletics [N.]=10. [5 women, 5 men]) aged 17-21 years participated in the study. After participant demographic data were collected, 2D real-time B-mode ultrasound (USG) and right (R) and left (L) leg quadriceps muscle group rectus femoris (RF), vastus intermedius (VI), vastus lateralis, pennation angle (PA), RF cross-sectional area (CSA), and subcutaneous fat thickness were determined.
RESULTS: In the study, in female athletes, R-RF+VI (P=0.04, ES:4.34), R-VI (P=0.01, ES: 6.1), R-RF: (P=0.009, ES: 7.9), R-CSA (P=0.04, ES: 5.2), L-RF (P=0.002, ES: 10.4) and L-CSA (P=0.007, ES: 7.7) significant differences were found in favor of the Football group. In male athletes, R-CSA (P=0.004, ES: 9.05), L-RF (P=0.05, ES: 3.5) and L-SFT (P=0.00, ES: 13.6), there was a significant difference in favor of the Football group. L-PA (P=0.009, ES: 6.2). L-PA (P=0.009, ES: 6.2) was significantly higher in the male Taekwondo group.
CONCLUSIONS: Our research findings show that there is a significant relationship between the type of exercise performed and the structural differences observed in the quadriceps muscle. Consequently, it is highly recommended to consider the outcomes of our study for enhancing the efficacy of training programs in the domains of football, taekwondo, and athletics.

KEY WORDS: Sports; Football; Quadriceps muscle; Ultrasonography