#loading responses

Repetitive loading of limb asymmetries may have a cost down the road in terms of bone mass and bone structure. This can impact loading responses and musculoskeletal function.

Study purpose: “Asymmetrical loading patterns are commonplace in football sports. Our aims were to examine the influence of training age and limb function on lower-body musculoskeletal morphology.” -Hart et al.

“Conclusion: Asymmetries were evident in athletes as a product of limb function over time. Chronic exposure to routine high-impact, gravitational loads afforded to the support limb preferentially improved bone mass and structure (cross-sectional area and cortex thickness) as potent contributors to bone strength relative to the high-magnitude, muscular loads predominantly afforded to the kicking limb.” -Hart et al.

From:

Musculoskeletal Asymmetry in Football Athletes: A Product of Limb Function over Time.

Hart, Nicolas H.; Nimphius, Sophia; Weber, Jason; Spiteri, Tania; Rantalainen, Timo; Dobbin, Michael; Newton, Robert U.