Newswise — Rockville, Md. (October 24, 2019)—A new study confirms important differences in dominant- versus non-dominant-leg oxygen usage and power output during single-leg exercise. The study is published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
Single-leg exercise, such as cycling, may be a component of scientific studies that examine exercise capacity and other physiological changes that take place in the muscles during physical activity. Single-leg cycling may also play a role in physical, cardiac or respiratory rehabilitation in people who are recovering from injuries. In addition, “single-leg training might be a very useful tool in patients with conditions that prevent them from exercising at higher intensities during whole-body exercise, but who can still benefit from strong signals for adaptation within the active muscles,” explained corresponding author Juan Murias, PhD, of the University of Calgary in Canada.
Previous research has shown that the dominant leg—the preferred side of the body for motor skills—often generates more power than the non-dominant leg during double-leg exercise, such as riding a standard bicycle. However, even with this knowledge, there has been an assumption in the field of exercise physiology that both legs have a similar capacity for exercise before fatiguing. Murias’ research team examined the physiological responses of both the dominant and non-dominant legs during sessions of single- and double-leg cycling.
A small group of healthy men performed single- and double-leg cycling incremental tests—exercise intensity progressively increases until exhaustion—and 30-minute constant-intensity trials. The single-leg trials were aided with a 15-pound counterweight attached to the opposite pedal. In single-leg cycling, the participant must actively flex and lift the exercised leg with each revolution. Counterweighting balances the exercised leg so it does not move in a different pattern than in double-leg cycling, reducing discomfort and fatigue. The research team then measured the power generated, oxygen usage and exercise capacity in both dominant and non-dominant legs.
During the single-leg incremental tests, the volunteers’ dominant legs consistently worked at a higher level of VO2max, the ability to use oxygen during exercise and a marker of aerobic fitness. The dominant leg was also able to generate and sustain more power than the non-dominant leg during the constant-intensity trials. These findings could affect rehabilitation and training intervention programs that include single-leg exercise and “have important implications for the design of future studies using counterweighted single-leg cycling,” the researchers wrote.
Read the full article, “Inter-limb differences in parameters of aerobic function and local profiles of deoxygenation during double-leg and counterweighted single-leg cycling,” published ahead of print in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology.
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact theAPS Communications Officeor call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our News Room.
Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in healthand disease.Established in 1887, the American Physiological Society (APS) was the first U.S. society in the biomedical sciences field. The Society represents more than 10,000 members and publishes 15 peer-reviewed journals with a worldwide readership.
FAQs
Our study shows that in a population-based sample of women there is a significant asymmetry in leg muscle strength favouring non-dominant leg flexion and dominant leg extension. In this study the H:Q ratio was therefore substantially lower in the dominant leg.
Which leg is the strongest? ›
So the majority of studies support that your left leg is the side of choice for strength or balancing needs, whether it be the plant foot before kicking, the takeoff foot for jumping, or the front leg of a baseball swing to stop rotation.
Why is one leg so much stronger than the other? ›
We repetitively stand on one leg and the other leg rests without much weight on it. Due to the fact that you might have been doing this for years now, the two sides of the body have developed differently. One foot might bigger. One leg has better balance because you stand on it more often.
What is the dominant leg? ›
In 1998, Peters defined the dominant leg as 'the leg used in order to manipulate an object or to lead out in movement' [9]. This automatically leads to the definition of the non-dominant leg: 'the leg which performs the stabilizing or supporting role' [9].
How much stronger is your dominant side? ›
The 10% rule states that the dominant hand possesses a 10% greater grip strength than the nondominant hand. This rule has been used for many years to assist therapists in setting strength goals for patients with injured hands.
Is your dominant leg more flexible? ›
Radwan et al. (2015) found left-right differences and discovered that the dominant right leg of most participants showed significantly more flexibility than the left (in a study of 41 women and 31 men, average age of 33).
Which leg is power leg? ›
This it the leg that is closest to the starting line that generates 100% of the forward momentum. An easy way of determining this is to stand behind the athlete and simply push them forward. Whichever leg catches their weight is the power leg.
Whose legs are stronger? ›
Females have 37-68% of muscle strength of males in general. The difference on muscle strength between females and males is more on upper body, and less on lower body. Females are relatively stronger on their legs than arms and shoulders.
How can you tell which leg is weaker? ›
Test for power equality every four weeks or so by measuring the distance you can cover in 10 seconds of explosive hopping on each foot. If you're like most athletes, your left leg and foot are probably stronger than the right ones.
Can favoring one leg damage the other? ›
There is no clear evidence to suggest that an injury to one lower extremity would have any significant impact on the opposite uninjured limb unless the injury resulted in major muscle or nerve damage causing partial or complete paralysis of the damaged le.
Some good leg strengthening exercises include:
- Squats — Squatting is one of the best resistance workouts you can do. ...
- Lunges — Lunges are a great way to enhance strength and stability in your legs since you are forced to balance all of your body weight on one leg for a short period of time.
At least you should be… See, your legs are much stronger than your arms; in an average person, the legs are able to push roughly four times as much weight as the arms can pull. What's more, the legs have an even better advantage when it comes to endurance.
Does your dominant leg have more muscle? ›
A significant difference in maximal muscle power exists between the dominant and the nondominant leg in single-leg-dominant healthy, young adult, professional soccer players.
Is it easier to balance on your dominant leg? ›
Some studies showed no difference of postural balance between the dominant and the non-dominant leg whereas other studies concluded that the dominant and non-dominant leg exhibit different postural balance in healthy subjects and athletes.
What part of your leg is the most important? ›
The Leg Anatomy Centers
The knee joint is present where the two most important parts of leg that are femur and tibia come together. The kneecap to which we also call patella covers up the forward-facing aspect of the joint. And the two major ligaments create the stabilizing force inside the knee.
Is it normal for your non-dominant side to be stronger? ›
It's perfectly normal for one side of your body to be a bit stronger and more coordinated than the other.
Why is my left leg stronger when I'm right-handed? ›
(1986) and Rosenrot (1980) reported leftfoot superiority in strength of force production in right handers. It also has been implied by some that because the left leg in right-handed people is longer and heavier, it must be stronger (Chibber and Singh, 1970).
What gender has the strongest legs? ›
Women have stronger legs and other side-effects of human body proportions. Am J Hum Biol. 2024 May;36(5):e24034. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.
