View clinical trials related to Development; Unilateral.
Filter by:Humans generally develop a preferred upper and lower extremity. Due to repetitive uneven loading, this gradually results in morphological adaptations to the dominant side of the body. The corresponding morphological asymmetry can be further accentuated by (intensively) practicing a unilateral sport such as tennis, which is very popular. Yet, research on this particular topic is scarce, especially in (elite) female players. Furthermore, existing studies only examine the degree of morphological asymmetry of the upper extremity. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the morphological differences between the dominant and the non-dominant extremity/side on a whole body level (trunk, upper and lower extremity) in elite female tennis players.
Humans generally develop a preferred upper and lower extremity. Due to repetitive uneven loading, this gradually results in structural (e.g. increased bone and muscle mass) and functional (e.g. increased strength) adaptations to the dominant side of the body. The corresponding structural and functional asymmetry can be further accentuated by (intensively) practicing a unilateral sport such as tennis, which is very popular. Yet, research on this particular topic is scarce, especially in (pre)adolescent players. Existing studies, which often face methodological shortcomings (e.g. crosssectional designs, small sample sizes, no link to field methods), mainly focus on adults and structural asymmetry of the upper extremity itself, with very little or no attention to whole body structural as well as functional asymmetry. Moreover, the link of both forms of asymmetry with growth and maturation, everyday locomotion, technical skill performance and whole body injury is currently not (fully) understood. Therefore, the main purpose of this research project is to gain comprehensive knowledge on the degree, development and implications of both structural and functional asymmetry during a critical period in life using a longitudinal approach. As such, this project among youth elite tennis players will provide insights on the extent to which structural and/or functional asymmetry is acceptable for being most successful but remaining injury free.