Adding Mini-squat Exercises to Leg Press Exercise on Quadriceps and Hamstring Strength and H:Q Ratio in Athletes

Effect of Adding Mini-squat Exercises at Different Angles to Leg Press Exercise on Quadriceps and Hamstring Strength and H:Q Ratio in Athletes

This study will try to answer the following question:

Will adding mini-squat exercises at different angles (30°,45°, and 60°) to leg press exercise influence quadriceps and hamstring strength and H:Q angle in football players?

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Exercise
• Intervention / Treatment: Procedure: mini-squat exercises at 30°; Procedure: mini-squat exercises at 45°; Procedure: mini-squat exercises at 60°; Procedure: leg press exercise

Detailed Description

Recent studies have highlighted the importance of exercise selection and angle specificity in resistance training, showing that different knee angles result in varied activation patterns in the quadriceps and hamstrings. However, current literature offers limited insight into the effects of integrating mini squat exercises with leg press training on injury prevention and functional outcomes in athletic populations. In particular, there is a lack of literature on how such a combined leg press and mini squat exercise at different angles influences the H:Q ratio, lower limb neuromuscular control, and performance in young male football players. Therefore, the present study aims to examine whether incorporating mini squats performed at varying knee flexion angles into a leg press training program can improve muscle balance and lower limb strength in football players. The findings may provide valuable guidance for physiotherapists, coaches, and sports scientists in developing evidence-based, angle-specific exercise protocols tailored to the functional demands of athletes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Saudi Arabia
  • Jizan, Saudi Arabia
    • Jazan University Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Male football players aged between 18-30 years (Scoz et al., 2021).
2. Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m² (Walsh et al., 2018 & Sattar& Lean, 2009).
3. Currently training or playing with a registered football club/team.
4. Hamstring-to-Quadriceps (HQ) strength ratio of ≥ 0.6 (Çelebi et al., 2018).
5. Having no oral or injectable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), 2weeks before starting study.
6. Having no oral injectable corticosteroids 3 months before starting the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of acute or chronic injury to the knee, hip, or ankle joint
2. Undergoing any other rehabilitation or physical therapy programs during the six weeks before starting the study
3. Diagnosed with neurological or systemic disorders affecting muscle function or balance
4. Participation in competitive sports or high-intensity training outside the study protocol during the study period
5. Presence of any contraindication to exercise, such as uncontrolled hypertension or heart conditions.
6. Clinically free from lower limb injuries.
7. Having no history of neurological, cardiovascular, or musculoskeletal disorders.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Group A (mini-squat at 30° knee flexion and leg press); Fifteen participants will receive mini-squat exercises at 30° knee flexion and leg press exercises	Procedure: mini-squat exercises at 30°; mini-squat exercises at 30° knee flexion and leg press exercises
Active Comparator: Group B (mini-squat at 45° knee flexion and leg press); Fifteen participants will receive mini-squat exercises at 45° knee flexion and leg press exercises	Procedure: mini-squat exercises at 45°; mini-squat exercises at 45° knee flexion and leg press exercises
Active Comparator: Group C (mini-squat at 60° knee flexion and leg press); Fifteen participants will receive mini-squat exercises at 60°and leg press exercises	Procedure: mini-squat exercises at 60°; mini-squat exercises at 60°and leg press exercises
Placebo Comparator: Group D (Control group: leg press exercise program only); Fifteen participants will receive leg press exercise program only.	Procedure: leg press exercise; leg press exercise program only

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Measurement of quadriceps strength	The participant will be seated on the isokinetic dynamometer chair, with proper posture and alignment ensured.; The lateral femoral epicondyle (the anatomical axis of the knee joint) will be aligned with the mechanical axis of the dynamometer arm.; The lever arm of the dynamometer will be securely attached to the participant's lower leg, just above the ankle, using a padded cuff.; The participant will be instructed to perform maximal knee extension against the resistance of the device, moving from a flexed to an extended position.; The test will be conducted unilaterally, assessing one leg at a time.; The participant will be encouraged to exert maximal effort during each repetition.; The isokinetic device will record key outcome measures including peak torque (Nm), average power, and total work for each repetition. These values will be used to quantify quadriceps strength.	1.5 months
Measurement of hamstrings muscle strength	All previously described quadriceps muscle evaluation procedures will be applied for the hamstrings muscle strength test; however, the range of motion will be set from full knee extension, and the participant will be instructed to actively bend the knee against the resistance of the device to 90°	1.5 months
Hamstring to quadriceps H:Q ratio calculation	The H-Q ratio refers to the relative strength of the hamstring muscles compared to the quadriceps, typically measured under isokinetic conditions (at the same angular velocity). It is calculated as the maximal concentric knee flexion strength divided by maximal concentric knee extension strength.	1.5 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Cairo University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Prof.Dr.Nasr Abdelkader, Cairo Univesity

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 2, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 3, 2026
• Study Completion (Actual): March 3, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 31, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 10, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 25, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavior; Motor Activity
• Other Study ID Numbers: P.T.REC/012/006017

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No