Affiliations: School of Physical Education and Sports, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Niğde, Turkey | Tel.: +90 532 335 51 70; E-mail: [email protected]
Correspondence:
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Corresponding author: School of Physical Education and Sports, Nigde Omer Halisdemir University, Niğde, Turkey. Tel.: +90 532 335 51 70; E-mail: [email protected].
Abstract: BACKGROUND: In the current literature, exercises performed using fitness equipment and body weight have been used in order to decrease the bilateral deficit (BLD) and increase the hamstring-quadriceps (H/Q) ratio. No studies have previously investigated the effect of therabands, which are both portable and practical to be used anywhere, in regard to the BLD and H/Q ratio. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of several 10-week lower extremity exercises performed through therabands on the BLD and H/Q ratio. METHODS: Twenty-seven voluntary male soccer players participated in the study. The players were categorized into the control group (CG) (n= 14) and the theraband exercise group (TBG) (n= 13). Theraband exercises for the lower extremity were performed by the soccer players in the TBG for four days every week over a 10-week period. The dominant (D) and non-dominant (ND) leg concentric extension and flexion of the soccer players were determined through an isokinetic dynamometer at 30∘s-1 and 240∘s-1 angular velocities. The data were analyzed through SPSS 24. To determine the difference between the BLD, H/Q ratios, and pre- and post-test of peak torque (PT), the Wilcoxon test was employed. RESULTS: As a result of the analysis, it was found that the BLD for the TBG decreased, which was statistically significant (p< 0.05), whereas there were no statistically significant differences for the H/Q ratio for both the CG and TBG; the D and ND leg H/Q rate of the TBG at 240∘s-1 angular velocity increased in the post-test. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the exercises performed with the theraband were extremely efficient at increasing the PT and decreasing the BLD.
