The squat is a fundamental movement for weight lifting and sport performance. Beyond performance, both unilateral and bilateral squats are used to assess dynamic lower extremity control, and they may be of value for assessing injury risk and functional independence. The purpose of this column is to present an evidence-based discussion of the influence that hip muscle impairments may have on unilateral and bilateral squat performance. Specifically, the effects of hip muscle pain, fatigue, and tightness are presented. Practical applications are discussed within the context of recognizing changes attributed to muscle impairments and guiding safe exercise prescription.
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