思春期の男子サッカー選手における大腿筋群の部位別にみた発育特性

Abstract

The characteristics of growth of thigh muscles in soccer players have not been fully expressed. We examined the muscle thickness of the rectus femoris (RF) and the vastus intermedius (VI) at different sites of muscle in 112 male soccer players under developmental period aged from 12 to 22 years old. Using B-mode of a high resolution ultrasound, the muscle thickness in RF and VI was, respectively, measured at the site of 30% (proximal), 50% (intermediate) and 70% (distal) of the whole length of femur in dominant leg. The muscle thickness in both RF and VI increased with chronological age. However, the largest increment of thickness was attained during 14-16 years of age in RF despite over 18 years of age in VI. Comparing the muscle thickness among three sites, the largest thickness was observed at proximal site and followed by intermediate and then distal sites for both RF and VI. The present results suggested two important characteristics of growth of thigh muscles in the male soccer players; one is the earlier growth in RF than VI and the other is the greater growth at proximal site than intermediate and distal sites in RF and VI.