Do age and body size affect the eccentric knee flexor strength measured during the Nordic hamstring exercise in male soccer players?

Aim: To compare the effect of low versus high volume of eccentric-biased hamstring training programs on knee-flexor strength and fascicle length changes in elite soccer players. Methods: A total of 19 elite youth soccer players took part in this study and were randomly assigned into 2 subgroups. For 6 weeks in-season, the groups performed either a low-volume (1 set per exercise; 10 repetitions in total) or a high-volume (4 sets; 40 repetitions) eccentric training of their knee flexors. After 6-weeks midtraining (MID), players performed the alternate training regimen. Each training set consisted of 4 repetitions of the Nordic hamstring exercise and 6 repetitions of the bilateral stiff-leg deadlift. Eccentric knee-flexor strength (NordBord) as well as biceps femoris long head and semimembranosus fascicle length (scanned with ultrasound scanner) were assessed during pretraining (PRE), MID, and posttraining (POST) tests. Results: Knee-flexor eccentric strength very likely increased from PRE to MID (low volume: +11.3% [7.8%] and high volume: 11.4% [5.3%]), with a possibly-to-likely increase in biceps femoris long head (+4.5% [5.0%] and 4.8% [2.5%]) and semimembranosus (+4.3% [4.7%] and 6.3% [6.3%]) fascicle length in both groups. There was no substantial changes between MID and POST. Overall, there was no clear between-group difference in the changes from PRE to MID and MID to POST for neither knee-flexor eccentric strength, biceps femoris long head, nor semimembranosus fascicle length. Conclusions: Low-volume knee-flexor eccentric training is as effective as a greater training dose to substantially improve knee-flexor strength and fascicle length in-season in young elite soccer players. Low volume is, however, likely more appropriate to be used in an elite team facing congested schedules.

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Influence of prolonged intermittent high-intensity exercise on knee flexor strength in male and female soccer players

European Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1007/s00421-003-0830-6 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 89 (5) ◽

pp. 506-508 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Tom H. Mercer ◽

Nigel P. Gleeson ◽

Karen Wren

Keyword(s):

High Intensity ◽

High Intensity Exercise ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Male And Female ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Flexor Strength

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The Effect of Body Mass on Eccentric Knee-Flexor Strength Assessed With an Instrumented Nordic Hamstring Device (Nordbord) in Football Players

International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance ◽

10.1123/ijspp.2015-0513 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 721-726 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Martin Buchheit ◽

Yannick Cholley ◽

Mark Nagel ◽

Nicholas Poulos

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Football Players ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Australian Football League ◽

Training History ◽

Absolute Strength ◽

Australian Football ◽

Flexor Strength

Purpose:To examine the effect of body mass (BM) on eccentric knee-flexor strength using the Nordbord and offer simple guidelines to control for the effect of BM on knee-flexor strength.Methods:Data from 81 soccer players (U17, U19, U21, senior 4th French division, and professionals) and 41 Australian Football League (AFL) players were used for analysis. They all performed 1 set of 3 maximal repetitions of the bilateral Nordic hamstring exercise, with the greatest strength measure used for analysis. The main regression equation obtained from the overall sample was used to predict eccentric knee-flexor strength from a given BM (moderate TEE, 22%). Individual deviations from the BM-predicted score were used as a BM-free index of eccentric knee- flexor strength.Results:There was a large (r = .55, 90% confidence limits .42;.64) correlation between eccentric knee-flexor strength and BM. Heavier and older players (professionals, 4th French division, and AFL) outperformed their lighter and younger (U17–U21) counterparts, with the soccer professionals presenting the highest absolute strength. Professional soccer players were the only ones to show strength values likely slightly greater than those expected for their BM.Conclusions:Eccentric knee-flexor strength, as assessed with the Nordbord, is largely BM-dependent. To control for this effect, practitioners may compare actual test performances with the expected strength for a given BM, using the following predictive equation: Eccentric strength (N) = 4 × BM (kg) + 26.1. Professional soccer players with specific knee-flexor-training history and enhanced neuromuscular performance may show higher than expected values.

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Knee Flexor Eccentric Strength, Hamstring Muscle Volume and Sprinting in Elite Professional Soccer Players with a Prior Strained Hamstring

Biology ◽

10.3390/biology11010069 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 69

Author(s):

Alberto Mendez-Villanueva ◽

Francisco Javier Nuñez ◽

Jose Luis Lazaro-Ramirez ◽

Pablo Rodriguez-Sanchez ◽

Marc Guitart ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biceps Femoris ◽

Muscle Volume ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Hamstring Muscle ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Hamstring Strain ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Knee Strength ◽

History Of ◽

Flexor Strength

The aim was to determine if players with a prior hamstring strain injury (HSI) exhibit bilateral deficits in knee flexor eccentric strength and hamstring muscle volume and differences in sprinting performance compared with players without a history of HSIs. Forty-six male professional soccer players participated in this study. Eccentric knee flexor strength, hamstring muscle volume (MRI), and a 20-m running sprint test (5- and 10-m split time) were assessed at the start of the preseason. Eccentric knee strength of the previously injured limbs of injured players was greater (ES: 1.18–1.36) than the uninjured limbs in uninjured players. Previously injured limbs showed possibly larger biceps femoris short heads (BFSh) and likely semitendinosus (ST) muscle volumes than the contralateral uninjured limbs among the injured players (ES: 0.36) and the limbs of the uninjured players (ES: 0.56), respectively. Players who had experienced a previous HSI were possibly slower in the 5-m (small ES: 0.46), while unclear differences were found in both the 10-m and 20-m times. Players with a prior HSI displayed greater eccentric knee flexor strength, possibly relatively hypertrophied ST and BFSh muscles, and possibly reduced 5-m sprinting performances than previously uninjured players. This can have implication for the design of secondary hamstring muscle injury prevention strategies.

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A Preseason Training Program With the Nordic Hamstring Exercise Increases Eccentric Knee Flexor Strength and Fascicle Length in Professional Female Soccer Players

International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy ◽

10.26603/001c.19452 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Karoline Baptista Vianna ◽

Lívia Gonçalves Rodrigues ◽

Nathalia Trevisol Oliveira ◽

João Breno Ribeiro-Alvares ◽

Bruno Manfredini Baroni

Keyword(s):

Training Program ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Fascicle Length ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Flexor Strength

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The Effects of a Soccer-Specific Fitness Test on Eccentric Knee Flexor Strength

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.2019-0532 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Christopher Michael Brogden ◽

Lewis Gough ◽

Adam Kelly

Keyword(s):

Outcome Measures ◽

Body Mass ◽

Assessment Method ◽

Peak Force ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Youth Soccer ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Fitness Test ◽

Hamstring Injuries ◽

Flexor Strength

Context: Physiological fitness testing, such as the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (YYIR) is a key requirement of the Elite Player Performance Plan, introduced by the English Premier League. Eccentric hamstring strength has been identified as a risk factor for hamstring injuries in soccer players, with fatigue highlighted to further exasperate this issue. Objective: The aim of the current study was to examine the effect of the YYIR level 1 (YYIR1) on eccentric knee flexor strength assessed using the NordBord in youth soccer players. Design: Experimental design. Setting: Soccer club academy. Participants: A total of 67 male academy soccer players (age = 16.58 [0.57] y; height = 175.45 [5.85] cm; mass = 66.30 [8.21] kg) volunteered to participate in the current study during the English competitive soccer season. Main Outcome Measures: Participants conducted eccentric hamstring strength assessments using the NordBord prior to and immediately postcompletion of the YYIR1, with outcome measures of peak force and peak force relative to body mass recorded. Results: Paired t tests highlighted increased absolute eccentric knee flexor strength values (P < .001) immediately post-YYIR1 for both the dominant and nondominant limbs, with the same trend (P < .001) observed for eccentric strength relative to body mass. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that the YYIR1 does not induce eccentric knee flexor fatigue and as such is not a valid assessment method to assess the effects of fatigue on hamstring function. However, results do suggest that the NordBord may be considered a viable and more accessible alternative to detect pre–post fitness test/fatigue protocol differences in eccentric knee flexor peak strength while working in the field.

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