Central European Journal of Sport Sciences and Medicine


ISSN: 2300-9705    eISSN: 2353-2807    OAI    DOI: 10.18276/cej.2026.2-01
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Issue archive / Vol. 54, No. 2/2026
A Low Hamstring/Quadriceps Ratio May Increase the Risk of Knee Injury in Inactive Young Women: Cross Sectional Study

Authors: Sedef Nizam ORCID
Institute of Health Sciences/Department of Physical Education and Sport/Balıkesir University, Balıkesir. Turkey

Zekine Punduk ORCID
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching Education, Balıkesir University, Balıkesir, Türkiye

Ozden Certel ORCID
Balıkesir State Hospital, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Balıkesir, Türkiye
Keywords: h/q ratio isokinetic measurement risk of knee injury inactivite
Whole issue publication date:2026
Page range:9 (5-13)
Klasyfikacja JEL: L83
Cited-by (Crossref) ?:

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the isokinetic hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q) performance in male and female individuals with different physical activity levels and to examine the interaction between gender and activity level. A total of 84 volunteers (42 males and 42 females) with varying physical activity levels (inactive, minimally active, active) participated in the study. Based on the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF) scores, participants were categorized into three activity groups by gender (n=12–15 per group). Isokinetic muscle strength measurements were performed at angular velocities of 60°/s and 180°/s. Both gender and physical activity level had significant effects on quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength (p < 00.001). A significant interaction between gender and activity level was observed (p 1.3). A similar but less pronounced gender difference was also observed in active individuals. The gender difference in H/Q ratio is more pronounced among individuals with low physical activity levels. These findings suggest that inactive females may be at greater risk for knee injuries compared to males.
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