Force Testing with VALD: Identify Asymmetries & Injury Risk

VALD Force Testing: Analyzing Asymmetries and Strength Deficits

Following our first post on VALD technology—specifically regarding CMJ (Counter Movement Jump) testing and its data analysis for individual player profiling, performance, injury risk, and recovery—today we will dive into a series of force tests. We will focus specifically on identifying asymmetries and strength deficits using the VALD system.

If you missed the previous discussion on CMJ testing with VALD force plates, you can find the link here: https://www.thefootballpitch.one/en/post/vald-cmj-test-analysis-force-plate.

You can find the link to the dashboard at the bottom of this post.

Introduction: The Importance of Monitoring

In the landscape of modern sport science, constant and accurate monitoring of muscular performance is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity to ensure athletic longevity and injury prevention.

VALD force tests represent the current gold standard for quantifying an athlete's physical capabilities in a precise and repeatable manner. By integrating advanced dynamometry systems, we can go beyond subjective observation, transforming raw data into a detailed map of each player's athletic profile.

In this post, we analyze a practical case study conducted with a professional football team. The objective was to provide an objective assessment of muscular status, highlighting any "non-physiological" asymmetries or strength deficiencies.

Force Tests Performed with the VALD System

Our testing battery included several targeted assessments of the lower limbs, specifically focusing on the hamstrings, adductors, and abductors.

While the VALD system allows for a wide range of evaluations, this post and the accompanying dashboard focus on the following core battery:

• Nordic Hamstring

• SL Hamstring ISO 90-20

• Hip Flexion Standing

• Hip Flexion Seated

• Hip ABD/ADD 45°

• Plantar Flexion Seated

• Knee Flexion Standing

  
  

Asymmetries and Strength Deficits

Monitoring bilateral asymmetries and strength deficits is a fundamental pillar of modern sport science for athlete safeguarding.

Analyzing force differences between the right and left limbs is not just a statistical exercise; it is a tool for the early identification of injury risk factors. By using objective tests like dynamometry, we can transform data into individual recovery triggers. This allows the technical staff to intervene with surgical precision before a strength deficit turns into a muscular or joint lesion.

In this way, monitoring serves as the bridge between quantitative analysis and the programming of personalized corrective exercises, essential for maintaining athletes in peak performance conditions.

Scientific Context

Scientific literature has widely demonstrated that force profiling is a cornerstone of athlete health management. Multiple studies indicate that significant bilateral asymmetries (often defined as a difference greater than 10-15% between limbs) can act as a critical indicator for increased risk of muscle injuries, particularly involving the hamstring complex.

Data Analysis and Evaluation

After establishing the importance of monitoring, let's shift the focus to the data analysis. Using my Power BI Dashboard, I have processed the values from the various tests into a detailed report for the technical staff.

The report is divided into two macro-sections:

1. Asymmetry Summary Table: A summary table where each player is assigned an alert status: a yellow flag for mild asymmetry and a red flag for critical asymmetry (>15%).

   

2. Test-by-Test Analysis: A detailed breakdown for each individual test, analyzing the force levels of the right vs. left limb and the specific asymmetry range.

📁 Dashboard PowerBi | Test Force Analysis Asymmetry