Comparação da assimetria de força manual entre praticantes e não praticantes de musculação

Abstract

Since birth, human beings develop skills with a preference side, characterized by laterality that is defined in the early years of life. Lateral asymmetry is one of the fields of study of laterality, which corresponds to superiority in performing activities with one side of the body, lateral asymmetry can be divided into preference asymmetry and performance asymmetry. The present study aimed to compare the asymmetry of manual pressure strength between practitioners and non-practitioners of weight training, to understand the relationship between the practice of weight training and the asymmetry between the upper limbs. The sample consisted of 50 vol- unteers, divided into 2 groups, including bodybuilders and non-bodybuilders, who performed the manual pressure strength test at their maximum strength. The results of the study partially confirm the hypothesis, because differences were observed between the groups of practitioners and non-practitioners of bodybuilding, however, no differences were found regarding the asym- metry index (AI). The group of non-practitioners (GNP) showed a difference in the performance of the hands, which indicates that the force produced by the hands is different, which may result in higher values of manual asymmetries. As for the group of practitioners (GP), no differences were observed between the performance of the hands. This result can be understood as less asymmetric. On the contrary, when we analyze the differences in the performance of the hands in the groups, through the AI, we do not find differences. Descriptively, the preferred hand (right) obtained higher values than the non-preferred hand (left), regardless of the group. We can also observe a tendency for the trained group to be less asymmetrical than the untrained group. This result can be justified by the practice of bodybuilding in weekly training sessions with a minimum of 12 uninterrupted months, thus showing the influence that daily bodybuild- ing practice has on the lives of individuals, and on the strength levels of the upper limbs, making them less asymmetrical due to bilateral practice of strength, therefore, less prone to injuries and muscle imbalances. Reducing the levels of asymmetry in the limbs reduces the risk of injury, and throughout the study, bodybuilding proved to be an excellent tool for reducing the levels of asymmetry between the upper limbs. According to the results of the present study, the group of untrained individuals showed differences in performance between hands. These differences were not observed for the bodybuilding group. On the other hand, no differences were found in asymmetry indices.