Dominant Leg May Have More Endurance
Single-leg drills can address leg differences.
New research shows that single-leg cycling drills may be a valuable way to address dominant/nondominant leg differences. University of Calgary researchers in Canada investigated aerobic performance in relation to leg dominance. What they found in a group of 12 young men was that both submaximal and maximal aerobic capacities were greater in the dominant leg than in the nondominant leg. The dominant leg, therefore, may not only be stronger, more coordinated and more powerful; it may also have more aerobic capability.
The study is available in the American Journal of Physiology—Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology (2019; doi:10.1152/ajpregu.00164.2019).
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
