{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,24]],"date-time":"2026-04-24T05:35:35Z","timestamp":1777008935467,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]],"date-time":"2026-04-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1776470400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Life"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The purpose of this study was to examine associations between lower-limb mechanical strength, phase-oriented composite strength indices, generalized neuromuscular activation, and maximal soccer ball kicking speed in trained athletes. Twenty-five male soccer players (age: 20.64 \u00b1 2.50 years; height: 179.28 \u00b1 4.27 cm; body mass: 75.80 \u00b1 9.41 kg) participated in this cross-sectional study. Isometric ankle and knee joint torques were assessed using an isokinetic dynamometer, and joint-specific and phase-oriented cross-joint composite indices were computed to represent integrated strength capacity across the kinetic chain. Neuromuscular activation was evaluated via surface electromyography during a standardized squat jump task. Ball-kicking speed was measured using Doppler radar during maximal instep kicks. Associations were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients (p \u2264 0.05) with false discovery rate correction for multiple comparisons. In unadjusted analyses, moderate positive correlations were observed for several ankle torque variables and composite ankle strength indices, while swing-phase composite measures demonstrated moderate correlations (r = 0.43\u20130.55). Knee strength indices and sEMG variables showed no significant relationships. However, none of the variables remained statistically significant after FDR correction, suggesting limited independent explanatory value of isolated isometric strength and non-task-specific neuromuscular activation assessed during a standardized squat jump for maximal kicking performance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/life16040688","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,20]],"date-time":"2026-04-20T12:01:22Z","timestamp":1776686482000},"page":"688","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Joint-Specific and Cross-Joint Strength Profiles in Relation to Maximal Soccer Kicking Speed"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"\u0130brahim Orkun","family":"Akcan","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sports Sciences, Erzincan Binali Y\u0131ld\u0131r\u0131m University, Erzincan 24002, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-2025-2930","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sultan","family":"\u015eenyurt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Health Sciences, Ordu University, Ordu 52200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6318-0107","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Tolga","family":"Altu\u011f","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sports Sciences, Agri \u0130brahim \u00c7e\u00e7en University, Agri 04100, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Bet\u00fcl","family":"Ate\u015f","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Health Sciences, Ordu University, Ordu 52200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"\u015eeyma Tuba","family":"Acar","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Health Sciences, Ordu University, Ordu 52200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-0607-4726","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"B\u00fc\u015fra","family":"Y\u00fccelsoy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Health Sciences, Ordu University, Ordu 52200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0357-183X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gizem","family":"K\u0131z\u0131l\u00f6rs","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Graduate Studies, Sinop University, Sinop 57000, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2446-311X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christopher B.","family":"Taber","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT 06825, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9912-9909","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hamza","family":"K\u00fc\u00e7\u00fck","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Yasar Dogu Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun 55200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4507-2174","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ahmet Serhat","family":"Ayd\u0131n","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Institute of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Ankara 06500, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6912-4218","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mehmet","family":"S\u00f6yler","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vocational School of Social Sciences, Cankiri Karatekin University, \u00c7ank\u0131r\u0131 18200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8584-6272","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cengiz","family":"\u00d6lmez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Sports Sciences, Ordu University, Ordu 52200, T\u00fcrkiye"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"805","DOI":"10.1080\/02640414.2010.481305","article-title":"The biomechanics of kicking in soccer: A review","volume":"28","author":"Lees","year":"2010","journal-title":"J. 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