Sex- and age-specific normative values for lower-limb field tests in elite TeamGym gymnasts.

OBJECTIVES

To establish sex- and age-specific normative values for lower-limb functional performance in elite TeamGym gymnasts and compare values between groups.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

PARTICIPANTS

216 elite junior (38 males, 50 females) and senior (64 males, 64 females) TeamGym gymnasts.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Ankle dorsiflexion, hop for distance, height-adjusted hop for distance, side-hop performance, and heel-raise performance.

RESULTS

No significant sex- or age-group differences were observed in ankle dorsiflexion. Significant sex × age-group interactions were observed for hop for distance (p = .003), height-adjusted hop for distance (p = .013), and side-hop performance (p < .001). Senior males outperformed junior males across all hop outcomes (all p < .001), whereas females showed no age-group differences. Junior males outperformed junior females in absolute hop distance (p = .002), while senior males outperformed senior females across all hop outcomes (all p < .001). Males completed more heel raises than females (mean difference 4.60, 95% CI 1.91-7.30; p < .001), with no age-group difference.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides the first sex- and age-specific normative values for lower-limb functional performance in elite TeamGym gymnasts, providing sport-specific reference benchmarks for rehabilitation and return-to-sport assessment.