Male–female differences in unilateral jump–landing energetics are concentrated in propulsion‐phase work generation across self‐paced and ball‐interception tasks in competitive soccer players

PURPOSE: This cross-sectional observational study compared jump performance and braking-, propulsion- and landing-phase energetics during self-paced hands-on-hips single-leg countermovement jump (SL-CMJ) and soccer-relevant jump-heading-landing (SR-JHL) between sampled male and female competitive soccer players. A secondary aim examined associations between propulsion-phase knee positive work (generation) and jump height. METHODS: Forty-five players (22 males, 18.4 ± 2.1 years; 23 females, 20.1 ± 3.5 years) performed SL-CMJ and SR-JHL bilaterally using force plates and three-dimensional motion capture. SR-JHL incorporated a large-screen interactive soccer scene, real-time marker-driven avatar, unrestricted arms, height-scaled virtual-ball heading and tested-limb landing. Limb-averaged outcomes included jump performance, modified reactive strength index (RSI-mod), phase-specific center-of-mass and hip-knee-ankle work and relative joint contribution. Welch tests, Hedges' g and false discovery rate (FDR) correction compared sexes within tasks; mixed-effects models examined knee energetics-jump height associations. RESULTS: Males had greater jump height and RSI-mod in both tasks (g = 1.34-2.85; q < 0.001), greater propulsion-phase center-of-mass generation and jump center-of-mass net work (g = 0.68-1.35; q ≤ 0.033); however, braking or landing center-of-mass absorption did not differ significantly between groups after FDR correction. Males also showed greater propulsion-phase knee generation, lower ankle generation share, higher knee generation share and greater landing knee absorption. Absolute propulsion-phase knee generation was associated with jump height after accounting for sex and task (β = 0.0147 m per standard deviation; p = 0.042), with a stronger association in SR-JHL (p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Differences between the sampled male and female cohorts were concentrated in propulsion-phase work generation, with greater hip and knee work in the male cohort and greater ankle contribution in the female cohort. Propulsion-phase knee positive work was associated with jump height, particularly in SR-JHL. Because sex was inseparable from cohort context, these findings describe between-group differences-not independent sex effects-and provide task-specific comparison context for future anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and return-to-sport research. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.