Effects of stretch-shortening cycle fatigue protocol on lower limb asymmetry and muscle soreness in judo athletes

This study aimed to analyse unilateral countermovement jumps (CMJ) performance and muscle soreness in lower limbs, as well as to compare lower limb asymmetry over 48h after a stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) fatigue protocol. Fourteen judo athletes performed unilateral CMJ on each leg before, and after the 5(th)and 10(th)sets over 24h and 48h of an SSC-fatigue protocol. The SSC protocol reduced CMJ performance after the 5(th)set and 10(th)sets, especially in the weaker limb (p < 0.05), but returned to the baseline values after 24h. Asymmetry increased for peak force, peak power, and mean power after the 5(th)set compared to the baseline (p < 0.05) and remained higher for peak force after the 10(th)set (p = 0.019), returning to the baseline values after 24h (p < 0.05). Soreness increased for the lower body at post, 24h, and 48h compared to the baseline (p < 0.05). In conclusion, a fatiguing SSC protocol can result in increased bilateral asymmetries in judo athletes, but after 24h and 48h of the protocol the bilateral asymmetry returned to the baseline values, with only muscle soreness still elevated.