ABSTRACT
In soccer, the players are forced to switch between high demanding skills which require strength, power, coordination and agility, with these qualities being symmetrically distributed to the lower extremities for maximal body balance and skill efficiency. The purpose of the study was to investigate parameters of knee extensors and flexors strength, determine their differences and define standards for the best players of the Under-16 category. The testing protocol consisted of five maximum attempts for knee extension followed by knee flexion; testing velocities went from the lowest to the highest velocity. Analysis based on a post-hoc test showed a significantly different level of all mutually compared results of muscle strength exerted at different velocities of movement. The muscle strength, which the muscle is able to exert, decreases with increasing velocity of the movement in the concentric contraction. The results of the study are used to provide data for the comparison of normative values of strength parameters for elite young soccer players.
