Assessing Muscular Strength in Youth: Usefulness of Standing Long Jump as a General Index of Muscular Fitness

TLDR

Assessing muscular strength in youth, researchers examine whether the standing long jump can serve as a general index of muscular fitness. The study aimed to examine associations among various lower‑body strength measures and between lower‑ and upper‑body strength in children. The authors tested 94 healthy children (6–17 y) on multiple lower‑body explosive strength tests (SLJ, vertical, squat, countermovement jumps) and upper‑body strength tests (basketball throw, push‑ups, isometric exercises) and analyzed the relationships using multiple regression. The standing long jump was strongly correlated with other lower‑body and upper‑body strength tests (R² ≈ 0.83–0.86 and 0.69–0.85, respectively) and was deemed a practical, time‑efficient, low‑cost general index of muscular fitness in youth.

Abstract

Castro-Piñero, J, Ortega, FB, Artero, EG, Girela-Rejón, MJ, Mora, J, Sjöström, M, and Ruiz, JR. Assessing muscular strength in youth: usefulness of standing long jump as a general index of muscular fitness. J Strength Cond Res 24(7): 1810-1817, 2010-The purpose of the present study was to examine the association among different measures of lower body muscular strength in children, and the association between measures of lower- and upper-body muscular strength. The study population comprises 94 (45 girls) healthy Caucasian children aged 6-17 years. Children performed several lower body explosive muscular strength tests (i.e., standing long jump [SLJ], vertical jump, squat jump, and countermovement jump) and upper body muscular strength tests (i.e., throw basketball, push-ups, and isometric strength exercises). The association among the study tests was analyzed by multiple regression. The SLJ was strongly associated with other lower body muscular strength tests (R2 = 0.829-0.864), and with upper body muscular strength tests (R2 = 0.694-0.851). The SLJ test might be therefore considered a general index of muscular fitness in youth. The SLJ test is practical, time efficient, and low in cost and equipment requirements.