A combination of swissball hamstring curl and stiff-leg deadlift training on agility, hamstring asymmetry, and leg power in badminton athletes with hamstring asymmetry conditions

Abstract

Exercise-based physical therapy has become a crucial element of sports medicine, particularly in addressing conditions such as hamstring asymmetry in athletes. To find out the impact of 10 weeks of stiff-leg deadlift and Swiss ball hamstring curl training on the asymmetries of hamstrings, agility, and leg power in badminton athletes with asymetry conditions. The study design employed was a quasi-experimental pre-post design. The prepared programme gave the sample a combination of stiff-leg deadlift and Swiss ball hamstring curl training for 10 weeks. Data was collected twice during the pretest and posttest by measuring hamstring asymmetry using the Norboard, agility using the Illinois agility run test, and leg power using the Force Plate. Paired sample t tests and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare the initial test results obtained before and after hamstring muscle strengthening training for 10 weeks, which resulted in a p value of less than 0.05. The Wilcoxon test results for the hamstring asymmetry variable show a p-value of 0.000, and the agility variable shows a p-value of 0.001. Meanwhile, the leg power variable using a paired sample t test resulted in a p-value of 0.035. Engaging in a 10-week training program that combines stiff-leg deadlifts and Swiss ball hamstring curls can enhance the strength of the hamstring muscles and improve agility and leg power in athletes with a hamstring asymmetry >= 10%.