"Study aim": To determine muscle strength variables in elite judoists and wrestlers since thigh muscle strength and bilaterally balanced flexor-to-extensor ratio minimise injury risk and are desirable for achieving sport successes. "Material and methods": Judoists, wrestlers and untrained subjects, 10 each, were subjected to isokinetic strength measurements of relative peak torques of knee flexor and extensor muscles on "Easy-Tech" dynamometer in concentric-concentric mode. "Results": Mean relative peak muscle torques for knee flexors ranged from 1.14 [plus or minus] 0.27 (untrained) to 1.57 [plus or minus] 0.40 (judoists) N[middle dot]m/kg and for knee extensors from 2.77 [plus or minus] 0.34 (untrained) to 3.60 [plus or minus] 0.64 (wrestlers) N[middle dot]m/kg. The flexor-to-extensor ratios ranged from 39.3 [plus or minus] 6.0 to 47.8 [plus or minus] 10.8% and did not differ significantly between groups. Absolute right/left asymmetry for knee flexors ranged from 14.6 [plus or minus] 10.4 to 17.4 [plus or minus] 11.8% and was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than for knee extensors (7.2 [plus or minus] 6.8 to 8.6 [plus or minus] 7.7%). All asymmetry indices were significant (p less than 0.01), no significant between group differences being detected. "Conclusions": Implementing new training elements and modalities may improve the performance and prevent lateral asymmetry thus decreasing the risk of injuries. (Contains 4 tables.)