Affiliations: [a] Department of Rehabilitation and Functional
Evaluation, Fraternidad Muprespa, Madrid, Spain | [b] University Alfonso X El Sabio, Madrid, Spain | [c] Faculty of Psychology, University of Granada, Granada,
Spain | [d] Department of Rehabilitation and Functional
Evaluation, Fraternidad Muprespa, Madrid, Spain | [e] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,
Complutense University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Jesús Olmo, Jefe del
Departamento de Rehabilitación y Valoración Funcional, Hospital
Central de Fraternidad Muprespa, C/Madre de Dios 42, 28016 Madrid, Spain. Tel.:
+34 913431174; E-mail: jolmo@fraternidad.com
Abstract: To determine optimal parameters for representing knee flexion and
extension strength in athletes and describe reference values for track and
field athletics, 248 high-level Spanish athletes of 22 different specialities
and a group of 68 sedentary subjects were tested isokinetically at 60 and
300°/s. Absolute and weight normalized strength of the flexors and
extensors as well as the hamstrings/quadriceps ratio (H/Q60, H/Q300) were
studied. Significant correlations were found among all flexion and extension
and between the H/Q ratios. Comparative analysis revealed significant
differences among groups for the strength at 60°/s and largely no
differences in the H/Q ratio. It is concluded that for discriminating between
groups the peak torque at 60°/s is sufficient. Moreover as the athletic
specialty has no effect on the H/Q ratio its use for this particular purpose
should be discontinued.
