Methodology for Three-Dimensional Analysis of Asymmetries in Joint Moments in Cycling.

The assessment of lower-limb joint moment asymmetries during cycling is critical, as inter-limb imbalances may lead to performance decrements, overload, or injury risk. While most investigations have focused on the sagittal plane, asymmetries may also arise in the frontal and transverse planes, with...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Martín Sosa, Ezequiel, Ojeda Granja, Joaquín
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/180592
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/180592
https://doi.org/10.3389/fbioe.2025.1692531
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:3D asymmetries analysis
3D joint moment
cycling
normalized symmetry index
workload effect
Descripción
Sumario:The assessment of lower-limb joint moment asymmetries during cycling is critical, as inter-limb imbalances may lead to performance decrements, overload, or injury risk. While most investigations have focused on the sagittal plane, asymmetries may also arise in the frontal and transverse planes, with potential implications for both performance and health. The present study performed a three-dimensional analysis of joint moment asymmetries and examined the influence of pedalling power on their magnitude in ten amateur cyclists under three power conditions. Asymmetries were quantified using a modified version of the Normalised Symmetry Index (NSI), the Cross-Correlation Coefficient (CCC), and the newly proposed metric Asymmetries During Cycle (ADC) index. Results indicated that these indices must be applied jointly to identify whether asymmetries arise from magnitude differences, temporal pattern discrepancies, or both. The greatest asymmetries were observed in the frontal and transverse planes, and their magnitude decreased progressively with increasing pedalling power. The novelty of this work resides in the combined application of NSI, CCC, and the ADC index to three-dimensional joint moment analysis, which together provide a comprehensive and mechanistic understanding of asymmetries throughout the pedalling cycle, an approach not previously reported in cycling biomechanics.