A comparison of absolute, ratio and allometric scaling methods for normalizing strength in elite American football players

Authors

B. H. Jacobson, Oklahoma State University
Brennan J. Thompson, Utah State UniversityFollow
E. C. Conchola, Oklahoma State University
R. Glass, Oklahoma State University

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Athletic Enhancement

Volume

2

Issue

2

Publisher

SciTechnol

Publication Date

4-4-2013

Abstract

Division I football players exemplify the greatest range in body mass of any modern team sport. Body mass may differ by over 80 kg between the various positions. Absolute muscular strength is typically greater in larger individuals, but such data does not allow for accurate comparisons. Therefore, in order to compare the performance indices of individual groups allometric rather than ratio scaling has been suggested. The purpose of this study was to compare absolute strength, normalized ratio and allometrically scaled data among players of different size.

Recommended Citation

Jacobson, B.H., Thompson, B.J., Conchola, E.C., and Glass, R. (2013). A comparison of absolute, ratio and allometric scaling methods for normalizing strength in elite American football players. Journal of Athletic Enhancement, 2: 1-5.