Background The lunge is a critical movement in badminton, facilitating rapid and efficient court coverage and enabling players to promptly reach the hitting position. While previous studies have examined the influence of lunge direction on lower limb biomechanics, the effects of gender have yet to be explored. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the combined effects of direction and gender on lower limb biomechanics during forehand and backhand forward lunges in amateur badminton players. Methods 16 male and 16 female amateur players were recruited. Kinematic and kinetic data were measured synchronously using a Vicon motion capture system and a Kistler force plate. A two-way mixed-design ANOVA was used to explore the effects of different lunge directions, gender, and the interaction between the two factors on each parameter. Joint angles during the stance phase were analyzed using the statistical nonparametric mapping method. Results Interaction effects between gender and direction were observed for the second impact of vertical ground reaction force (VGRF), knee peak external rotation moment, ankle sagittal angles and knee frontal and transverse moments during the stance phase. Compared with the females, the males showed significantly greater loading rate and impulse of VGRF, peak flexion, sagittal range of motion (ROM) and abduction moment of knee joint. The sagittal ROM of hip and knee joint and the knee flexion moment around 84% of the stance phase during backhand lunge was significantly greater than during forehand lunge. In contrast, the sagittal ROM of ankle joint and peak abduction moment of knee joint was significantly lower during backhand lunge. Conclusions Gender-specific biomechanical strategies influence knee loading patterns during badminton lunges, contributing to direction-dependent variations in injury risk. These findings underscore the importance of incorporating directional biomechanical demands and sex-specific neuromuscular adaptations into training and injury prevention programs to mitigate injury risks.
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