Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate muscle imbalances in female gymnasts correlate with age. 24 female gymnasts 9 to 15 years old had their muscle imbalances of the knee evaluated by Isokinetic Dynamometer. The H/Q ratio showed that 87.5% and 91% of the gymnasts were at risk of injury in the dominant and non-dominant limbs respectively. Bilateral imbalances revealed that 25% of the gymnasts had bilateral imbalance exceeding 10% in the quadriceps and 30% in hamstrings. No correlations were found between muscle imbalances and age of the gymnasts. Young gymnasts have muscle imbalances that might be related to possible lower limb injuries.
KEYWORDS
Muscle imbalance; Gymnastics; Injuries; Young athletes