Thermal and functional symmetry between dominant and non-dominant limbs in under-20 soccer players
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v80.119080Keywords:
Soccer, infrared thermography, unilateral counter-movement functional symmetryAbstract
Introduction: Soccer involves high-intensity actions that place substantial neuromuscular and physiological demands on the lower limbs, potentially leading to functional and thermal asymmetries between the dominant and non-dominant sides. The unilateral countermovement jump (UCMJ) and infrared thermography have been widely used to assess neuromuscular performance and physiological responses; however, evidence combining these methods in young soccer players remains limited.
Objective: To compare unilateral countermovement jump performance and skin temperature between the dominant and non-dominant limbs of under-20 soccer players.
Methods: This cross-sectional study included 27 male under-20 soccer players aged 18–20 years. Unilateral countermovement jump performance was assessed using a contact mat, while skin temperature was evaluated through infrared thermography under controlled environmental conditions. Mean and maximum skin temperatures of the anterior and posterior regions of the lower limbs were analyzed. Comparisons between dominant and non-dominant limbs were performed using paired statistical tests, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Results: No significant differences were observed between limbs in unilateral jump performance (20.30 ± 3.55 vs. 20.37 ± 3.78 cm; p = 0.841; Cohen’s dz = −0.04; 95% CI: −0.79 to 0.65), with a mean asymmetry of −0.49%. Similarly, no significant differences were found for anterior (p = 0.242; dz = 0.23; asymmetry = 0.11%) or posterior skin temperature (p = 0.497; dz = 0.13; asymmetry = 0.08%). The magnitude of differences across all variables was trivial. Conclusion: Under-20 soccer players did not exhibit meaningful functional or thermal asymmetries between limbs. The trivial effect sizes and minimal asymmetry values (<1%) suggest a well-balanced neuromuscular and physiological profile in young athletes.
References
Abade, E., Gonçalves, B., Figueira, B., Santos, S., & Coutinho, D. (2025). Impact of Eccentric Exercises on Soccer Players’ External Load, Muscle Soreness and Physical Performance: A Comparative Study of Pre and Post-Training Routines. Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise, 7(4), 409–421. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-024-00315-7
Alburquerque Santana, P. V., Alvarez, P. D., Felipe da Costa Sena, A., Serpa, T. K., Assis, M. G. de, Pimenta, E. M., Costa, H. A., Sevilio de Oliveira Junior, M. N., Torres Cabido, C. E., & Veneroso, C. E. (2022). Relationship between infrared thermography and muscle damage markers in physically active men after plyometric exercise. Journal of Thermal Biology, 104, 103187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2022.103187
Beato, M., Young, D., Stiff, A., & Coratella, G. (2021). Lower-Limb Muscle Strength, Anterior-Posterior and Inter-Limb Asymmetry in Professional, Elite Academy and Amateur Soccer Players. Jour-nal of Human Kinetics, 77, 135–146. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2020-0058
Bengtsson, H., Ekstrand, J., & Hägglund, M. (2013). Muscle injury rates in professional football increase with fixture congestion: An 11-year follow-up of the UEFA Champions League injury study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 47(12), 743–747. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2013-092383
Buoite Stella, A., Galimi, A., Martini, M., Di Lenarda, L., Murena, L., & Deodato, M. (2022). Muscle Asym-metries in the Lower Limbs of Male Soccer Players: Preliminary Findings on the Association be-tween Countermovement Jump and Tensiomyography. Sports, 10(11), 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports10110177
Falces-Prieto, M., González-Fernández, F. T., García-Delgado, G., Silva, R., Nobari, H., & Clemente, F. M. (2022). Relationship between sprint, jump, dynamic balance with the change of direction on young soccer players’ performance. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 12272. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-16558-9
Fernandes, A. A., Amorim, P., Prímola-Gomes, T., Quintana, M., Fernández Cuevas, I., Silva, R., Pereira, J., & Marins, J. (2012). Avaliação da temperatura da pele durante o exercício através da termogra-fia infravermelha: Uma revisão sistemática. Revista Andaluza de Medicina Del Deporte, 5, 113–117. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1888-7546(12)70017-5
Fernández-Cuevas, I., Bouzas Marins, J. C., Arnáiz Lastras, J., Gómez Carmona, P. M., Piñonosa Cano, S., García-Concepción, M. Á., & Sillero-Quintana, M. (2015). Classification of factors influencing the use of infrared thermography in humans: A review. Infrared Physics and Technology, 71, 28–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2015.02.007
Gholizadeh, R., Nobari, H., Bolboli, L., Siahkouhian, M., & Brito, J. P. (2022). Comparison of Measure-ments of External Load between Professional Soccer Players. Healthcare, 10(6), 1116. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10061116
Gómez-Carmona, P., Fernández-Cuevas, I., Sillero-Quintana, M., Arnaiz-Lastras, J., & Navandar, A. (2020). Infrared Thermography Protocol on Reducing the Incidence of Soccer Injuries. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 29(8), 1222–1227. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2019-0056
Gualtieri, A., Rampinini, E., Dello Iacono, A., & Beato, M. (2023). High-speed running and sprinting in professional adult soccer: Current thresholds definition, match demands and training strategies. A systematic review. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 5, 1116293. https://doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2023.1116293
Hildebrandt, C., Raschner, C., & Ammer, K. (2010). An overview of recent application of medical infra-red thermography in sports medicine in Austria. Sensors (Basel, Switzerland), 10(5), 4700–4715. https://doi.org/10.3390/s100504700
Kalata, M., Williams, C. A., Verbruggen, F. F., De Ste Croix, M., Lehnert, M., Zahalka, F., & Maly, T. (2025). Strength and jumping performance in youth athletes: Do sport specialization and age categories affect strength asymmetry? Research in Sports Medicine, 33(3), 334–351. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2025.2465544
Lees, A., Asai, T., Andersen, T., Nunome, H., & Sterzing, T. (2010). The biomechanics of kicking in soccer: A review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28, 805–817. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2010.481305
Li, J., & Qian, H. (2025). Biomechanical effects of different change of direction angles on lower limb joint load and injury risk in soccer players. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 45123. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-33102-7
Lundberg, T. R., & Weckström, K. (2017). Fixture congestion modulates post-match recovery kinetics in professional soccer players. Research in Sports Medicine (Print), 25(4), 408–420. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2017.1365296
Madruga-Parera, M., Bishop, C., Beato, M., Fort-Vanmeerhaeghe, A., Gonzalo-Skok, O., & Romero-Rodríguez, D. (2021). Relationship Between Interlimb Asymmetries and Speed and Change of Direction Speed in Youth Handball Players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(12), 3482–3490. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000003328
Mala, L., Hank, M., Stastny, P., Zahalka, F., Ford, K. R., Zmijewski, P., Bujnovsky, D., Petr, M., & Maly, T. (2023). Elite young soccer players have smaller inter-limb asymmetry and better body compo-sition than non-elite players. Biology of Sport, 40(1), 265–272. https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2023.114840
Maloney, S. J. (2019). The Relationship Between Asymmetry and Athletic Performance: A Critical Re-view. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(9), 2579–2593. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002608
Mendonça Teixeira, R., Dellagrana, R. A., Priego-Quesada, J. I., Machado, J. C. B. P., Fernandes da Silva, J., Pacheco Dos Reis, T. M., & Rossato, M. (2020). Muscular Strength Imbalances Are not Associated with Skin Temperature Asymmetries in Soccer Players. Life (Basel, Switzerland), 10(7), 102. https://doi.org/10.3390/life10070102
Menzel, H.-J., Chagas, M. H., Szmuchrowski, L. A., Araujo, S. R. S., de Andrade, A. G. P., & de Jesus-Moraleida, F. R. (2013). Analysis of lower limb asymmetries by isokinetic and vertical jump tests in soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(5), 1370–1377. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e318265a3c8
Miguel, M., Oliveira, R., Brito, J. P., Loureiro, N., García-Rubio, J., Ibáñez, S. J., Miguel, M., Oliveira, R., Bri-to, J. P., Loureiro, N., García-Rubio, J., & Ibáñez, S. J. (2022). External Match Load in Amateur Soccer: The Influence of Match Location and Championship Phase. Healthcare, 10(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10040594
Mohr, M., Draganidis, D., Chatzinikolaou, A., Barbero-Álvarez, J. C., Castagna, C., Douroudos, I., Avloniti, A., Margeli, A., Papassotiriou, I., Flouris, A. D., Jamurtas, A. Z., Krustrup, P., & Fatouros, I. G. (2016). Muscle damage, inflammatory, immune and performance responses to three football games in 1 week in competitive male players. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 116(1), 179–193. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3245-2
Moreno-Villanueva, A., Soler-López, A., Cuartero-Martínez, J. C., Pino-Ortega, J., Moreno-Villanueva, A., Soler-López, A., Cuartero-Martínez, J. C., & Pino-Ortega, J. (2025). Assessment of Limb Imbal-ance in Professional Soccer Players. Applied Sciences, 15(4). https://doi.org/10.3390/app15041875
Mujica-Johnson, F. N., Concha López, R., Peralta Ferroni, M. ., & Burgos Henríquez, S. (2024). Perspec-tiva de género en la formación docente y escolar de Educación Física. Análisis crítico en función del contexto chileno (Gender perspective in Physical Education teacher training and schooling. Critical analysis based on the chilean context). Retos, 55, 339-345. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v55.103535
Paravlic, A. H., Abazovic, E., Milanović, Z., Vučković, G., Spudić, D., Hadzic, V., Pajek, M., & Vodičar, J. (2024). The association between unilateral and bilateral performance-related measures in elite female soccer players: A multifaceted investigation. Frontiers in Physiology, 15, 1298159. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2024.1298159
Peake, J. M., Neubauer, O., Della Gatta, P. A., & Nosaka, K. (2017). Muscle damage and inflammation dur-ing recovery from exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology (Bethesda, Md.: 1985), 122(3), 559–570. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00971.2016
Rahnama, N., Lees, A., & Bambaecichi, E. (2005). Comparison of muscle strength and flexibility between the preferred and non-preferred leg in English soccer players. Ergonomics, 48(11–14), 1568–1575. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140130500101585
Svynos, G., Michailidis, Y., Kotsakis, P., Mandroukas, A., Metaxas, I., Gissis, I., Metaxas, T. I., Svynos, G., Michailidis, Y., Kotsakis, P., Mandroukas, A., Metaxas, I., Gissis, I., & Metaxas, T. I. (2024). Effects of Vertical and Horizontal Jumping Asymmetries on Linear and Change-of-Direction Speed Per-formance of Female Soccer Players. Applied Sciences, 14(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/app14093901
Vaisman, A., Guiloff, R., Rojas, J., Delgado, I., Figueroa, D., & Calvo, R. (2017). Lower Limb Symmetry: Comparison of Muscular Power Between Dominant and Nondominant Legs in Healthy Young Adults Associated With Single-Leg-Dominant Sports. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 5(12), 2325967117744240. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967117744240
Zahálka, F., Malý, T., Malá, L., Gryc, T., & Hráský, P. (2013). Power assessment of lower limbs and strength asymmetry of soccer goalkeepers. Acta Gymnica, 43(2), 31–38. https://doi.org/10.5507/ag.2013.010
Zheng, T., Kong, R., Liang, X., Huang, Z., Luo, X., Zhang, X., & Xiao, Y. (2025). Effects of plyometric train-ing on jump, sprint, and change of direction performance in adolescent soccer player: A sys-tematic review with meta-analysis. PLOS One, 20(4), e0319548. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319548
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ana Karinne Morais Cardoso, Gabriel Rodrigues da Silva, Luciano Bernardes Leite, Leôncio Lopes Soares, André Chenu Schneider, Pedro Forte, Augusto Ribeiro De Oliveira, José Eduardo Teixeira, William Martins Januário, Bruno de Cassio Coelho, Guilherme de Azambuja Pussieldi, Mario N. Sevilio de Oliveira Junior, Miller Gomes de Assis, Eduardo Mendonça Pimenta, Christian Emmanuel T. Cabido, Christiano Eduardo Veneroso
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and ensure the magazine the right to be the first publication of the work as licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgment of authorship of the work and the initial publication in this magazine.
- Authors can establish separate additional agreements for non-exclusive distribution of the version of the work published in the journal (eg, to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Is allowed and authors are encouraged to disseminate their work electronically (eg, in institutional repositories or on their own website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as to a subpoena more Early and more of published work (See The Effect of Open Access) (in English).
This journal provides immediate open access to its content (BOAI, http://legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/boaifaq.htm#openaccess) on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge. The authors may download the papers from the journal website, or will be provided with the PDF version of the article via e-mail.
