VALD Muscle and Power Testing for Teen Athletes: Injury Prevention and Performance Boost

At Vital Core, we’re excited to offer dynamometry muscle and power testing using the VALD performance system to support teenagers who are growing, training and playing sport.

What Is VALD Performance Testing?

VALD performance dynamometry is a state-of-the-art strength and power testing system used to measure how much force and power muscles can produce. This technology is widely used in elite sports, physiotherapy, and rehabilitation because it replaces guesswork with quantifiable metrics, helping guide injury prevention, return-to-sport decisions, and performance optimisation.

VALD testing allows us to accurately measure how much force and power a muscle can produce and whether any imbalances exist between sides or different muscle groups. The results will also be compared to normative values for age and gender, giving an accurate insight into where the person’s strength sits relative to the population

Why Muscle and Power Testing Matters for Teen Athletes

This type of assessment is particularly valuable for young athletes. In Australia, sport remains the leading causes of injury among adolescents, with more than half of teen injuries linked to organised sport participation (Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2022).

Early identification of muscle weakness and/or asymmetry can help reduce the risk of common sporting injuries like ligament sprains, tendinopathies or muscle strains. Balanced strength and the ability to produce force efficiently play an important role not only in preventing injury but also in helping athletes meet the increasing demands of training and competition.

For teenagers returning from injury, VALD testing gives objective data to guide rehabilitation and help us set goals. It helps assess whether a muscle capacity deficiency may have contributed to the original issue. It also allows progress to be monitored so that return-to-sport decisions are based on measurable improvements rather than guesswork or worse, arbitrary timelines.

For athletes preparing for a new season, the same testing helps determine whether current strength levels are appropriate for the intensity of their sport and if not, gives a clear pathway for building capacity during preseason, rather than waiting for an injury to occur

Basketball and football are two of the most common sports our teens participate in, and both place high demands on the lower body. Young basketball players frequently encounter knee or ankle problems due to repeated jumping, landing and change of direction. Footballers often experience the same problems but with increased demand on the body by the field size difference and the contact element of the game. Objective strength testing particularly of the lower body helps identify risk factors so training programs can be adjusted before issues develop.

Book Your VALD Strength Assessment at Vital Core

If you or your teen is preparing for a new season, recovering from an injury or want a clear view of strength and performance, book a VALD Performance strength assessment with us. During the session we’ll run the relevant tests, upload your data to the secure VALD Performance online platform and walk you through the results immediately.

You’ll also receive a personalised hand-out showing your performance, and together we’ll plan an exercise program tailored to what the data reveals. After a period of rehab or training, we’ll retest to show your improvements, empowering you to track progress, reduce injury risk and step into sport with confidence.