Repeated unilateral loads are an integral part of judo. Most judokas fight in their dominant stance and execute techniques primarily on their preferred side, leading to the development of functional asymmetries. Goals. To determine the prevalence of hamstring functional asymmetries in younger (U16) and older (U18 and U21) age categories and in lighter (U66 kg) and heavier (O66 kg) weight categories. To examine correlations between training duration and hamstring asymmetries and correlation between SLHBT and EasyForce dynamometer measurements across age and weight categories and the overall sample. Methods. A total of 16 judokas from the U16 age category and 27 judokas from the U18 and U21 age categories were measured, amounting to a total of 43 participants. Among them, 20 judokas were classified into the lighter (U66 kg) and 23 into the heavier (O66 kg) weight category. At the time of measurement, all judokas were categorized athletes. The measurements were conducted at the Faculty of Sport in Ljubljana. The judokas underwent the FMS active straight leg raise test, the SLHBT test, and measurements using the EasyForce portable dynamometer. The data were analysed using SPSS 30.0. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the overall sample and separately for the age and weight categories. Normality of distribution was tested with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Differences between groups were assessed using an independent samples t-test/Mann-Whitney test. The relationship between variables was examined using Pearson’s/Spearman’s correlation coefficient. Statistical significance was set at a 5% risk level. Results. A statistically significant difference was found in the occurrence of functional asymmetries between weight categories in the IA EF average AV test (p = 0.046). Statistically significant differences were also found between the left and right leg in the overall sample for the EF average MAX test (p = 0.028) and the EF average AV test (p = 0.007), in the younger age category for the EF average AV test (p = 0.021), and in the older age category for the EF average MAX test (p = 0.038). The following correlations were statistically significant: the correlation between IA EF AV and years of training (p = 0.001) in the U16 age category, the correlation between SLHBT and all EF measurements of the right leg, the correlations between SLHBT and EF (p < 0.05), EF average MAX (p = 0.031) of the left leg in the U18 and U21 age groups, and the correlation between SLHBT and EF average AV in the heavier weight category. Other analyses did not show statistical significance. In identifying asymmetries in hamstring, the SLHBT test and the EF average MAX have proven to be very useful. The first test identified asymmetries in repetitive strength, while the second detected asymmetries in maximal strength. Functional asymmetries of the hamstring muscle in young Slovenian judokas are minor and within normal limits, and they do not increase with years of training. However, there are opportunities for improvement. To address this, the master's thesis provides training examples aimed at reducing hamstring functional asymmetries. A proper test battery for identifying such asymmetries is also crucial.
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