Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Kinesiology

First Advisor

Kevin D. Dames, Ph.D.

Second Advisor

Bryanne Bellovary, Ph.D.

Third Advisor

Jason Parks, Ph.D.

Abstract

Time to stabilization (TTS) represents the time it takes for a person to become still after a hop landing. Lower times suggest greater dynamic stability. Whereas leg dominance (preference) does not seem to have a significant impact on TTS performance in the general healthy populations, limb specialization in sport may introduce asymmetry. This study compares TTS following forward hops in healthy male controls (N = 19) to varsity DIII Track & Field athletes (N = 20). Groups were equal for height, but the athlete group’s average limb length (106.7 ± 5.5 cm) was greater than the control group (101.5 ± 4.8 cm). When limbs were defined anatomically as left/right or by the definition of dominance typically used in the biomechanics literature (limb to kick a ball), no main effects for group, limb, or the interactions for ML, AP, or V directions were observed. However, a Limb*Group interaction was observed in anterior-posterior TTS when categorizing athletes by their sport-specific limb preferences (e.g., take-off limb for a jumper). In this domain, the dominant limb for athletes performed better than their non-dominant limb while the opposite limb response was noted in the controls. Limb asymmetry may emerge as a natural consequence of dedicated training in track and field. These characteristics should be considered when defining limb dominance in biomechanics literature and when making return to play decisions after injury.

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