Lower extremity EMG in male and female college soccer players during single-leg landing

Context: Gender differences in muscle activity during landing have been studied as a possible contributing factor to the greater incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in women. Objective: To compare root-mean-square (RMS) electromyography (EMG) of selected lower extremity muscles at initial contact (IC) and at peak knee internal-rotation (IR) moment in men and women during landing. Design: Preexperimental design static-group comparison. Setting: Motion-analysis laboratory. Participants: 16 varsity college soccer players (8 men, 8 women). Main Outcome Measures: EMG activity of the gluteus medius, lateral hamstrings, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris during landing. Results: When RMS EMG of all muscles was considered simultaneously, no significant differences were detected between genders at IC or at peak knee IR moment. Conclusion: Male and female college soccer players display similar relative muscle activities of the lower extremity during landing. Gender landing-control parameters might vary depending on the technique used to analyze muscle activity.