Greater lumbopelvic motion is associated with faster hip flexion in soccer players

Faster lower-limb motion is closely related to soccer performance, but the contribution of lumbopelvic motion to achieving it remains unclear.

Through a cross-sectional study, Osaka Metropolitan University researchers aimed to examine whether faster lower-limb motion in soccer players was accompanied by greater lumbopelvic motion. Fifty-one male high school soccer players performed a thigh-raising (hip flexion) task from a standing position at low (approximately 100°/s) and high (approximately 400°/s) speeds. Lumbopelvic motion was measured at the lumbar spinous process (L3). Rotation (LBrot, transverse plane) and flexion–extension (LBf/e, sagittal plane) were derived from the angular velocity. Motions were compared between speeds using the Wilcoxon tests. In the dominant leg, both LBrot and LBf/e were greater at high speed. In the non-dominant leg, both LBrot and LBf/e were also greater at high speed. High-speed trials exhibited consistent movement patterns, whereas low-speed trials did not.

These findings suggest that greater lumbopelvic motion is associated with faster thigh raising, which may inform coaching and clinical practice regarding the appropriate degree of lumbopelvic motion during lower-limb tasks across movement speeds. 

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