Assessment Methods of Sport-Induced Neuromuscular Fatigue: A Scoping Review.
Jose L Muñoz-Gracia, Eduard Alentorn-Geli, Martí Casals and 2 others
PMID 40620399WHAT IT FOUND
Vertical jumps measured on force platforms are the most common way to test leg fatigue in sport.
This review maps how researchers assess fatigue but does not test if these methods predict injury or guide treatment.
Key findings
01Vertical jump tests were the most frequently used method to assess neuromuscular fatigue, appearing in 82.5% of the included studies.
02Force platforms were the primary equipment used for vertical jumps, and jump height was the most commonly analyzed variable.
03The review highlights a gap in specificity, noting that multi-joint sport fatigue is often measured using single-joint tests, which may reduce accuracy.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The review excluded studies involving participants over 50 years old, limiting applicability to younger athletic populations. Most included studies focused on male athletes (68.0%) and professional levels (46.4%), so findings may not generalize to female or amateur athletes. The strict eligibility criteria led to a low number of studies for implement and combat sports, preventing conclusions about test specificity in those areas. This is a scoping review, which maps existing evidence but does not assess the quality or validity of the included studies.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this review as evidence that vertical jump tests accurately diagnose fatigue in clinical patients. The paper maps how researchers measure fatigue in sports settings, not how clinicians should assess patient function or recovery.