Dominant and Non-Dominant Leg Muscle Electrical Activity Of Soccer Players: A Preliminary Study

Content: Electromyography (EMG) is a recording of muscles electrical activity and is useful for mechanism study. In Exercise and Sport Science, mechanism of dominance and non-dominance limb activity is recently a focus area. Objective: The aim of this study is to observe the muscle electrical activity of soccer players’ dominant and non-dominant leg. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: District level soccer championship, Birbhum district, West Bengal, India. Patients or Other participants: The total of 10 subjects, 5 right foot dominated and 5 left foot dominated soccer players were selected. Main outcome measure(s): Muscle electrical activity was measured by Electromyography (EMG) machine and data were collected during resting standing position from the leg muscles (calf, quadriceps and hamstring). Bipolar, 5 mm diameter surface electrodes were used to collect the data. Each group of muscle electrical activity was recorded after 15 seconds for 5 minutes. Two minutes rest intervals were given between three trials. For analysis of the data mean, SD and independent t-test was used. Results: It was observe that in the right leg dominant players and left leg dominant players EMG activity of calf and quadriceps muscles were significantly higher in their dominant leg. Whereas in the hamstring muscle EMG activity of left leg dominant players was significantly higher in their left leg, and insignificant result was found in the right leg dominant players. Conclusion: The present research group concluded that dominant leg of soccer players has shown higher level of EMG activity in the resting standing position. This result may create an impact in the mechanism study of dominance limb.