Single-leg lunges helped both legs get better at turning quickly, but double-leg squats only helped the stronger leg.

Scientific Claim

In young male team sport athletes, unilateral eccentric-overload training is associated with greater improvements in COD performance for both dominant and non-dominant legs, while bilateral training is associated with improvements only in the dominant leg, suggesting unilateral training may promote more balanced movement adaptations.

Original Statement

“The UG substantially decreased DEC-COD90nd, obtaining substantial differences compared with BG... BG only improved COD90 and DEC-COD90 in the dominant leg.”

From study:The effects of unilateral and bilateral eccentric overload training on hypertrophy, muscle power and COD performance, and its determinants, in team sport players

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

overstated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The claim 'seems to be more effective' implies causation. Without randomization, only associations between training type and asymmetry reduction can be claimed.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

The effects of unilateral and bilateral eccentric overload training on hypertrophy, muscle power and COD performance, and its determinants, in team sport players

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2018

The study found that doing single-leg exercises helped athletes get better at changing direction with both legs, while double-leg exercises only helped their stronger leg — meaning single-leg training makes both legs more equal in performance.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

The effects of unilateral and bilateral eccentric overload training on hypertrophy, muscle power and COD performance, and its determinants, in team sport players

Score: 46

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0193841

Similar Assertions

Single-leg lunges helped athletes slow down better with their weaker leg after turning, more than double-leg squats did.

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Doing squats with both legs on a special machine for six weeks made the outer thigh and outer calf muscles grow more than doing single-leg lunges.

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Both types of training made athletes stronger and more powerful, but squats with both legs made them significantly more powerful in the squat than lunges did.

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Training one leg at a time makes that leg much stronger than training both legs together — even though both methods make you equally strong when using both legs at once.

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Doing single-leg lunges with a special machine for six weeks made the inner thigh and inner knee muscles grow more than doing regular squats with both legs.

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