AUTHOR=McPhail Jonathan , Gonçalves Basílio A. M. , Spörri Jörg , Linnamo Vesa 

TITLE=Unilateral Maximal Isometric Hex Bar Pull Test: Within-Session Reliability and Lower Body Force Production in Male and Female Freeski Athletes

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.715833

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2021.715833

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=<p>The aim of the study was to (1) assess the within-session reliability of a unilateral isometric hex bar pull (UIHBP) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) test and, (2) determine unilateral isometric absolute peak force (PF<sub>abs</sub>) and relative peak force (PF) values in freeski athletes. Twenty-one male and eight female academy to national team freeskiers performed the novel UIHBP MVC task on a force plate and PF<sub>abs</sub> and relative PF were assessed (1000 Hz). Within-session measures of PF<sub>abs</sub> offered high reliability on left and right limbs for males (<italic>ICC</italic> = 0.91–0.94, <italic>CV</italic> = 2.6–2.2%) and females (<italic>ICC</italic> = 0.94–0.94, <italic>CV</italic> = 1.4–1.6%), while relative PF measures showed good to high reliability in both left and right limbs for males (<italic>ICC</italic> = 0.8–0.84, <italic>CV</italic> = 2.6–2.2%) and females (<italic>ICC</italic> = 0.92–0.90, <italic>CV</italic> = 1.4–1.7%). We observed significantly lower PF<sub>abs</sub> (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) and relative PF (<italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) in females compared to males. No statistical difference was found between left and right limbs in males and females in PF<sub>abs</sub> (<italic>p</italic> = 0.98) and relative PF measures (<italic>p</italic> = 0.93). The UIHBP MVC test appears to be a reliable method for assessing PF<sub>abs</sub> and relative PF in male and female freeski athletes.</p>