The effect of individual gluteal strengthening on strength and endurance in football

Abstract

Purpose: Muscle imbalances seem to be common issues in sports due to the frequent use of one limb more than another. Hence repetitive motions cause muscle imbalances between both limbs and between muscle groups in the same limb. Due to this, specific exercise programs are used to mitigate such issues. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of a gluteal specific exercise program in terms of general lower limb strength and endurance. Method: 25 participants from the Maltese National Women’s Football team gave their consent to participate in this study. Of these, 10 players who play for the Birkirkara Women’s Football team, were placed in the control group. These players followed their own program with their respective club in preparation for their “Champions League Qualifiers”. The other 15 players were placed in the experimental group. Outcome measures were carried out prior to and upon completion of the gluteal specific exercise program. The outcome measures used were the Single – Leg Hop test, Triple – Leg Hop test, Yo-yo Intermittent Endurance test – distance covered and level achieved. Results: There was only one significant value. The Yo-yo Intermittent Endurance test distance covered for the control group in August was significantly higher than that of the experimental group. Apart from this, there were no significant changes. Conclusion: The limitations experienced in this study greatly affected the results. There were no significant changes seen in the experimental group. Hence, the gluteal specific exercise program did not positively affect lower limb strength and endurance.