Asymmetries in Field Hockey Players: A Narrative Review

Field hockey is one of the most popular sport in the world, characterized by its asymmetric and unilateral nature because players are required to adopt a semi-crouched position, contributing inherently to an inbuilt asymmetry. This narrative review discusses the current understanding and existing knowledge of the asymmetries in field hockey players and suggests future recommendations to reduce the asymmetries. The relevant studies were identified by searching three databases (Scopus, Google Scholar, and PubMed) Results indicate that field hockey is an asymmetric sport dominated by one side of the body and distinguished by highly strict rules and regulations. The game increases morpho-functional asymmetries and produces side-to-side diversification, asymmetrical training patterns and movements in field hockey lead to muscular and postural adaptation asymmetries in players. In light of these findings, future research should focus on constructing a specific exercise training program to reduce asymmetries, optimise athletic performance, and minimize injuries in field hockey players.