Normative Values And Validity Of The Single-Leg Wall Squat Test

PURPOSE: The Single-Leg Wall Squat (SLWS) produces high electromyographic activity of lower extremity muscles, but it has not been thoroughly studied, especially as a performance test. Clinicians and athletes may find the SLWS useful to monitor progress given its ability to challenge multiple lower extremity muscles to a high degree. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between handheld dynamometry (HHD) for hip extension, hip abduction, knee extension and SLWS repetitions performed to failure. Secondary purposes included determining average values for the test in male and female university students, Rated Perceived Exertion (RPE) scores, ending heart rate, and reasons for test termination. METHODS: Data from 30 participants were used for the study. Participants’ hip extension, hip abduction, and knee extension strength were measured twice by researchers with HHD. Participants then performed a SLWS Test to failure. Heart rate and RPE were measured after the test. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationship between lower extremity strength and performance on the SLWS Test. Descriptive statistics were used for SLWS repetitions, RPE, ending heart rate, and reasons for test termination. RESULTS: The SLWS Test demonstrated low correlation with hip extension (r = 0.23), hip abduction (r = 0.23), and knee extension (r = 0.30). There were no significant differences between male and female performances. Females averaged 63.5 ± 38.1 SLWS repetitions and males averaged 85.9 ± 30.4 SLWS repetitions. Average RPE was 8.27 ± 1.18 on a scale of 10 at the conclusion of the SLWS Test, and the average ending heart rate was 143.9 ± 15.7 beats per minute. Most participants (40.0%) reported gluteus maximus fatigue as the primary reason for test termination. CONCLUSION: This novel performance test was validated with the implementation of RPE, ending heart rate, and reasons for termination for each participant. The SLWS was not highly correlated with performance on any of the HHD measures, indicating it should be used as an adjunct test rather than a proxy test for HHD measures. Further research using this test along with other outcome measures with a larger and more diverse population may be beneficial.