Are isokinetic muscle functions related to lower extremity sports injuries in elite taekwondo athletes?

Background: This study assessed the influence of knee and ankle muscle strength and endurance on lower extremity injury patterns (Injury incidence rate, injury type, and return-to-sport period) in elite taekwondo athletes.

Methods: The study involved 60 elite taekwondo athletes (male and female 30, respectively) aged 18 and older, who trained intensively at a training institution for two years, from January 2022 to December 2023. The injury incidence rate per 1000 hours of training was calculated using a 95% Poisson confidence interval. We also employed simple linear regression analysis to identify the factors that muscle strength and endurance affect injury. All statistical significance levels were set at α=0.05, and we used SPSS version 27.0 for Windows for our analysis.

Results: In both male and female Taekwondo athletes, there was no significant association between the injury incidence rate of lower extremity and the muscle strength and endurance of the knee and ankle. However, the ratio of muscle endurance to the agonist and antagonist muscles in the knee and ankle was found to be associated with lower extremity injury incidence rates. This is also associated with ligament injury incidence rates.

Conclusions: Effectively managing lower extremity injuries in taekwondo athletes necessitates a proper balance of muscle endurance between the agonist and antagonist muscles in the knee and ankle. Therefore, it is essential to develop an exercise program that addresses the imbalance between these muscle groups for taekwondo athletes.