Differences observed with H:Q ratio and years of experience during modified agility T-test and depth jumps: A pilot study

Reyna Bueno, Kaitlyn Quinn

This project was presented at the South Carolina Academy of Sciences annual meeting at MUSC in March 2024.

An imbalance between the hamstrings and quadriceps is commonly seen in female soccer players and can subsequently contribute to knee injuries. As a lower body focused sport, the hamstrings and quadriceps muscle groups are the primary muscle groups that work together throughout popular soccer movements like cutting and jumping. The coactivation relationship between the hamstring and the quadricep muscle groups is called the hamstring:quadriceps strength ratio (H:Q ratio). A ratio closer to 1.0 is ideal for lower body athletes and represents an equal balance between the two muscle groups. Studies have shown that an H:Q ratio less than 0.80 increases the risk of knee injury. It is common for younger athletes to have less experience on and off the field; however, there is limited research examining how this may affect H:Q ratio. Providing more information on what contributes to an athlete’s H:Q ratio could assist in understanding how knee injuries in collegiate female soccer players could possibly be prevented.