(59) THE INFLUENCE OF INTERLIMB ASYMMETRY AND FORCE PRODUCTION ON VERTICAL JUMP PERFORMANCE ACROSS ATHLETE POPULATIONS

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how takeoff peak force asymmetry relates to vertical jump height across four athlete groups. Methods: Eighty athletes (20 per group; Basketball, Volleyball, Soccer, Recreational) performed three trials of countermovement jumps on a ForceDecks force platform (sampled at 1,000 Hz) across two separate sessions, with 7–10 days between testing sessions.The primary outcome measures from these jumps were Jump Height (cm), with predictor variables including Peak Force at Take off (N), Takeoff Peak Force Asymmetry (%), Body Mass (kg), and Group. A linear mixed‐effects model (LMM) was then used to evaluate the influence of asymmetry on jump height, accounting for repeated measures and covariates (peak force production and body mass). Model-based predictions at 0%, 10%, 20%, and 30% asymmetry (Figure 1) were generated to illustrate potential practical effects. Significance was set at an alpha level of 0.05. Results: From our models, volleyball players achieved the highest jump height (44.20 ± 6.89 cm), whereas recreational athletes produced the lowest (33.72 ± 6.75 cm; p < 0.001). Basketball and volleyball players generated significantly higher peak forces at takeoff than soccer players (p < 0.001). From the LMM, greater peak force at takeoff was positively associated with jump height (p < 0.001), whereas higher body mass correlated negatively with jump height (p < 0.001). Takeoff force asymmetry showed a small but significant negative main effect on jump height (β = −0.38 cm per 1% increase, p = 0.010). In contrast, takeoff force asymmetry alone did not differ significantly among the four groups (p > 0.9). A significant group × asymmetry interaction emerged for soccer players (p = 0.002), indicating that soccer players were influenced differently by asymmetry than the other groups. Conclusions: Model predictions illustrated that as takeoff force asymmetry increased, jump height tended to decrease in basketball, recreational, and volleyball athletes, yet soccer players were minimally affected—or even showed a slight improvement—with higher asymmetry. Practical Applications: These results suggest that sport‐specific adaptations may modulate the impact of force asymmetry during takeoff on jump performance. Practitioners should therefore consider each sport’s unique demands when evaluating force-asymmetry data. Future research should seek to determine whether there are asymmetry thresholds beyond which performance deteriorates in all sport populations. Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the students from Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León for their invaluable support and dedication throughout this study. Their enthusiasm, perseverance, and commitment greatly contributed to the research. We truly appreciate their hard work and collaboration in making this project a success.