title: Laterality versus jumping performance in men and women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate relationships between functional asymmetry of lower limbs, taking into account morphological features of the feet, and jumping ability in men and women.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population consisted of 56 subjects, 30 women (age: 20.29 ± 0.59 years; body mass: 58.13 ± 4.58 kg, body height: 165.60 ± 5.03 cm) and 26 men (age: 20.41 ± 0.78 years, body mass: 78.39 ± 8.42 kg, body height: 181.15 ± 6.52 cm). The measurements of longitudinal arches were performed with the plan- tographic method on the basis of Clarke's angle mapped on a computer foot print. The measurements of jumping performance during bilateral (two legs) and unilateral (single-leg) counter movement jump (CMJ) were done on force plate. All subjects jumped three times each type of jump (total 9 jumps): three right leg, three left leg and three two legs. We put the test results through a detailed statistical analysis with the Statistica 8.0. The t-test for dependent variables and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for divergent variances of the fea- tures compared. The analysis of relationships between the chosen podometric and plantographic features and jumping performance was conducted on the basis of the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (for the features which presented normal distribution, according to the Shapiro-Wilk test).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The correlations between values of height of single-leg jumps (right and left) and bilateral jumps, and foot indices were found in few cases only in men who had greater values of jump height with the non-dominant limb. We did not find a significant difference in jumping ability between the dominant limb and the non-dominant limb in women. We found bilateral deficits in jumping ability in the study groups, though we did not find significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between the values for women (a mean of 6.5%) and for men (a mean of 8.4%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found significant gender differences of the correlations between the values of height of jumps (single-leg and bilateral jumps) and foot indices.
authors.affiliation: Chair of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Zbigniew
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Trzaskoma
authors.affiliation: Chair of Biological Foundations of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ilnicka
authors.affiliation: Chair of Biological Foundations of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wiszomirska
authors.affiliation: Chair of Biological Foundations of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wit
authors.affiliation: Chair of Biological Foundations of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wychowański
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult