Short and long lever adductor squeeze strength values in 100 elite youth soccer players: Does age and previous groin pain matter?

Objective: To examine adductor squeeze strength in elite youth soccer players by investigating the relationship of age and previous one-year groin pain on adductor squeeze force outputs, and to provide reference values for youth players.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Participants: Elite youth soccer players (n = 100; age 14.5 ± 1.9 years; height 168.0 ± 10.7 cm; mass 60.7 ± 13.0 kg) participated.

Main outcome measures: Adductor squeeze tests were captured in short and long lever positions, and groin pain assessed via subjective retrospective questionnaire. Multiple linear regressions were computed to compare the effects of age and previous one-year groin pain on adductor squeeze strength.

Results: Raw adductor squeeze force values (N) had a moderate positive relationship with age (short r = 0.517, p < 0.001; long r = 0.457, p < 0.001), but not when force is normalized to body mass (N/kg; short r = 0.014, p = 0.444; long r = -0.173, p = 0.043). Previous groin pain did not have an effect on short or long lever squeeze strength. Reference values for long lever adductor squeeze strength (3.59 ± 0.77 Nm/kg) are provided.

Conclusion: Age and previous groin pain do not have an effect on adductor squeeze strength values in elite youth soccer players, so comparing values to the present adolescent cohort can be quickly interpreted without adjustment for age or previous injury.