Abstract
The countermovement jump (CMJ) is a widely used assessment of lower-limb power and neuromuscular function. The physical demands of padel, including repeated accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, jumping, and landing, may contribute to inter-limb asymmetries influencing performance and injury risk. This quantitative cross-sectional study investigated lower-limb asymmetries during the CMJ in amateur (non-professional) padel athletes. Thirty participants (mean age: 41.2 ± 14.5 years; 63% male, 37% female) completed bilateral CMJ assessments using VALD ForceDecks force plates. Outcome measures included concentric, eccentric, and landing peak force, peak power, rate of force development and jump height. Significant dominant-limb advantages were identified for concentric (p = 0.002), eccentric (p = 0.024), and landing peak force (p = 0.044). Male athletes demonstrated greater jump heights than female athletes (p < 0.001), while female athletes exhibited greater landing-phase force asymmetry (p = 0.004). Amateur padel athletes display significant inter-limb asymmetries in force production across the concentric, eccentric, and landing phases of the CMJ, with greater force generation in the dominant limb. Furthermore, the greater landing asymmetry observed in female athletes may reflect reduced inter-limb load distribution during landing tasks. These results highlight the value of CMJ assessment in identifying neuromuscular asymmetries that may influence performance and increase injury risk in padel athletes.