Asymmetry Calculation Excel Sheet
Introduction
My MSc explored how inter-limb asymmetries impacted athletic performance in professional ice-hockey. While working on the project, I became frustrated with the lack of readily available resources for calculating asymmetries. This prompted me to write the R Stats interlimb package.
Although the R package is accessible for researchers who are comfortable with R, there was still a barrier to those who work primarily in MS Excel and Google Sheets. Therefore, I decided to create a brief Excel Sheet that automatically performs various asymmetry, mean, and SD calculations.
Using the Excel Sheet
The Excel Sheet can be downloaded from Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/369194738_Asymmetry_Index_Calculations
The file has three sheets: Start here, Magnitude of Asymmetry, and Asymmetry and Direction. All of these sheets are “protected” so that accidental alterations to asymmetry calculation formulas don’t occur. If you would like to alter or customize the file, please reach out at aaron@midsprint.io.
Start Here
The first sheet outlines how to use the document and which asymmetry indexes are used. Even though indexes are typically named in the literature, it was decided that the asymmetry indexes are numbered. Doing so exemplifies how different indexes can return the same asymmetry score.
Magnitude of Asymmetry
The second sheet returns which limb is stronger, the magnitude of asymmetry (positive values only), and the mean and SD for each limb and index.
Asymmetry and Direction
The third sheet returns which limb is stronger, the asymmetry and direction, and the mean and SD for each limb and index. When the left limb is stronger, the asymmetry score is returned as a negative score.
Conclusion
The Excel Sheet is intended to provide greater transparency in inter-limb asymmetry research.
Feel free to use the Excel sheet in your research with appropriate citation.
If you would like the sheet customized, please reach out at aaron@midsprint.io.