Gastrocnemius medialis muscle architecture and its relationship with countermovement jump performance differ between male academy soccer players and control participants

Robshaw, D, Murtagh, C, Drust, B and Erskine, R ORCID: 0000-0002-5705-0207 (2026) Gastrocnemius medialis muscle architecture and its relationship with countermovement jump performance differ between male academy soccer players and control participants. European Journal of Applied Physiology. ISSN 1439-6319

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Abstract

The aims of this study were to investigate gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle properties in male academy soccer players (ASP) and age- and sex-matched control participants (CON); and to explore the relationships between GM characteristics and jump performance. Thirty-four participants (ASP, n=22, age 18.8±1.4 years, height 1.82±0.08m, mass 75.1±5.9kg; and CON, n=12, 22.2±2.9 years, 1.75±0.05m, 71.6±7.4kg) completed the following assessments: ultrasound measurements of GM anatomical cross-sectional area (ACSA), volume, muscle thickness (MT), fascicle pennation angle (θp) and fascicle length (Lf); isokinetic dynamometry measurements of isometric plantar flexion and dorsiflexion maximum voluntary torque (MVT); and unilateral and bilateral, vertical and horizontal, countermovement jumps (CMJ), and bilateral drop jumps on a force platform. θp (17.4±2.5 deg vs. 14.3±1.2 deg, P<0.001); unilateral horizontal CMJ peak power (30.14±3.53 vs. 23.18±3.72 W·kg-1); and projectile range during unilateral (104±16 vs. 89±12 cm, P=0.006) and bilateral (140±14 vs. 129±14 cm, P=0.041) horizontal CMJ were greater in ASP vs. CON. In ASP alone, Lf correlated inversely with vertical CMJ performance but positively with horizontal CMJ performance (R2≥0.200, P≤0.042). Conversely, θp correlated positively with vertical CMJ performance but inversely with horizontal CMJ performance (R2≥0.194, P≤0.044). In CON only, ACSA, MT, volume and Lf all correlated inversely with vertical CMJ performance (R2≥0.366, P≤0.037). The opposing θp and Lf correlations with vertical and horizontal CMJ jump performance in ASP suggest GM architecture influences CMJ performance in a direction-specific manner in this population, while the different correlation patterns between ASP and CON suggest that GM architecture contributes to CMJ performance differently in these two populations.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences; Sport Sciences; 3202 Clinical sciences; 3208 Medical physiology; 4207 Sports science and exercise
Subjects:	R Medicine > RC Internal medicine > RC1200 Sports Medicine G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure > GV561 Sports
Divisions:	Sport and Exercise Sciences
Publisher:	Springer
Date of acceptance:	9 June 2026
Date of first compliant Open Access:	10 July 2026
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2026 10:01
Last Modified:	10 Jul 2026 12:53
DOI or ID number:	10.1007/s00421-026-06311-9
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/28794

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