The Single-Leg Wall Squat Test: An Assessment of Functional Lower Extremity Endurance in University Students.
B J Lehecka, Jordan Black, Jacob Jindra and 2 others
PMID 40756787WHAT IT FOUND
Isolated muscle strength predicts single-leg wall squat endurance poorly, so dynamometry cannot replace this functional test.
Males and females showed similar squat endurance despite significant strength differences. Gluteus maximus fatigue was the primary reason participants stopped the test.
Key findings
01Single-leg wall squat repetitions showed only low to moderate correlations with hip and knee strength measured by handheld dynamometry, with only knee extension reaching significance.
02There were no significant sex differences in single-leg wall squat performance, despite males having significantly greater hip and knee strength.
03Gluteus maximus fatigue was the most common reason for stopping the test (41.4%), followed by quadriceps fatigue (34.5%).
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample consisted only of healthy university students, so results may not generalize to older adults, patients with lower extremity injuries, or clinical populations. The study was cross-sectional and did not assess the test's sensitivity to change, meaning it is unclear if the single-leg wall squat can detect improvement after an intervention. Potential fatigue effects between the strength testing and the endurance test were not completely ruled out, although separate researchers and rooms were used. The sample size was small (n=30), which may limit the power to detect sex differences in endurance.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that increasing isolated muscle strength will automatically improve single-leg wall squat endurance. The correlations between dynamometry scores and squat repetitions were low, indicating that this functional test measures more than just force production.