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

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.

Download Full-text

Hamstring Eccentric Strengthening Program: Does Training Volume Matter?

International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance ◽

10.1123/ijspp.2018-0947 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 81-90 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Mathieu Lacome ◽

Simon Avrillon ◽

Yannick Cholley ◽

Ben M. Simpson ◽

Gael Guilhem ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biceps Femoris ◽

High Volume ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Eccentric Training ◽

Fascicle Length ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Low Volume ◽

Long Head ◽

Biceps Femoris Long Head ◽

Flexor Strength

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.

Download Full-text

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.

Download Full-text

Biceps Femoris Compensates for Semitendinosus After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With a Hamstring Autograft: A Muscle Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Male Soccer Players

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/03635465211003309 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 036354652110033

Author(s):

Thomas Tampere ◽

Jan Victor ◽

Thomas Luyckx ◽

Hannes Vermue ◽

Nele Arnout ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Muscle Activation ◽

Cruciate Ligament ◽

Biceps Femoris ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Hamstring Muscle ◽

Activation Patterns ◽

Muscle Activation Patterns ◽

History Of ◽

Anterior Cruciate ◽

Tendon Autograft

Background: Rates of reinjury, return to play (RTP) at the preinjury level, and hamstring strain injuries in male soccer players after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) remain unsatisfactory, due to multifactorial causes. Recent insights on intramuscular hamstring coordination revealed the semitendinosus (ST) to be of crucial importance for hamstring functioning, especially during heavy eccentric hamstring loading. Scientific evidence on the consequences of ST tendon harvest for ACLR is scarce and inconsistent. This study intended to investigate the repercussions of ST harvest for ACLR on hamstring muscle function. Hypothesis: Harvest of the ST tendon for ACLR was expected to have a significant influence on hamstring muscle activation patterns during eccentric exercises, evaluated at RTP in a population of male soccer athletes. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: A total of 30 male soccer players with a history of ACLR who were cleared for RTP and 30 healthy controls were allocated to this study during the 2018-2019 soccer season. The influence of ACLR on hamstring muscle activation patterns was assessed by comparing the change in T2 relaxation times [ΔT2 (%) = [Formula: see text]] of the hamstring muscle tissue before and after an eccentric hamstring loading task between athletes with and without a recent history of ACLR through use of muscle functional magnetic resonance imaging, induced by an eccentric hamstring loading task between scans. Results: Significantly higher exercise-related activity was observed in the biceps femoris (BF) of athletes after ACLR compared with uninjured control athletes (13.92% vs 8.48%; P = .003), whereas the ST had significantly lower activity (19.97% vs 25.32%; P = .049). Significant differences were also established in a within-group comparison of the operated versus the contralateral leg in the ACLR group (operated vs nonoperated leg: 14.54% vs 11.63% for BF [ P = .000], 17.31% vs 22.37% for ST [ P = .000], and 15.64% vs 13.54% for semimembranosus [SM] [ P = .014]). Neither the muscle activity of SM and gracilis muscles nor total posterior thigh muscle activity (sum of exercise-related ΔT2 of the BF, ST, and SM muscles) presented any differences in individuals who had undergone ACLR with an ST tendon autograft compared with healthy controls. Conclusion: These findings indicate that ACLR with a ST tendon autograft might notably influence the function of the hamstring muscles and, in particular, their hierarchic dimensions under fatiguing loading circumstances, with increases in relative BF activity contribution and decreases in relative ST activity after ACLR. This between-group difference in hamstring muscle activation pattern suggests that the BF partly compensates for deficient ST function in eccentric loading. These alterations might have implications for athletic performance and injury risk and should probably be considered in rehabilitation and hamstring injury prevention after ACLR with a ST tendon autograft.

Download Full-text

Does lumbo-pelvic dysfunction predispose to hamstring strain in professional soccer players?

Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies ◽

10.1016/j.jbmt.2004.03.005 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 99-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Matthew Wallden ◽

Nick Walters

Keyword(s):

Soccer Players ◽

Hamstring Strain ◽

Professional Soccer

Download Full-text

Soccer-Specific Fatigue and Eccentric Hamstrings Muscle Strength

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-44.2.180 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 44 (2) ◽

pp. 180-184 ◽

Cited By ~ 50

Author(s):

Matt Greig ◽

Jason C. Siegler

Keyword(s):

Outcome Measure ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Isokinetic Dynamometer ◽

Activity Profile ◽

Match Play ◽

Soccer Match ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Flexor Muscles ◽

Treadmill Protocol

Abstract Context: Epidemiologic findings of higher incidences of hamstrings muscle strains during the latter stages of soccer match play have been attributed to fatigue. Objective: To investigate the influence of soccer-specific fatigue on the peak eccentric torque of the knee flexor muscles. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: Controlled laboratory environment. Patients or Other Participants: Ten male professional soccer players (age = 24.7 ± 4.4 years, mass = 77.1 ± 8.3 kg, V˙o2max = 63.0 ± 4.8 mL·kg−1·min−1). Intervention(s): Participants completed an intermittent treadmill protocol replicating the activity profile of soccer match play, with a passive halftime interval. Before exercise and at 15-minute intervals, each player completed isokinetic dynamometer trials. Main Outcome Measure(s): Peak eccentric knee flexor torque was quantified at isokinetic speeds of 180° · s−1, 300° · s−1, and 60° · s−1, with 5 repetitions at each speed. Results: Peak eccentric knee flexor torque at the end of the game (T300eccH105 = 127 ± 25 Nm) and at the end of the passive halftime interval (T300eccH60 = 133 ± 32 Nm) was reduced relative to T300eccH00 (167 ± 35 Nm, P < .01) and T300eccH15 (161 ± 35 Nm, P = .02). Conclusions: Eccentric hamstrings strength decreased as a function of time and after the halftime interval. This finding indicates a greater risk of injuries at these specific times, especially for explosive movements, in accordance with epidemiologic observations. Incorporating eccentric knee flexor exercises into resistance training sessions that follow soccer-specific conditioning is warranted to try to reduce the incidence or recurrence of hamstrings strains.

Download Full-text

Reliability of a Clinical Test for Measuring Eccentric Knee Flexor Strength Using a Handheld Dynamometer

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.2020-0014 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Gabriel dos Santos Oliveira ◽

João Breno de Araujo Ribeiro-Alvares ◽

Felipe Xavier de Lima-e-Silva ◽

Rodrigo Rodrigues ◽

Marco Aurélio Vaz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coefficient Of Variation ◽

Intraclass Correlation ◽

Load Cell ◽

Effect Sizes ◽

Clinical Test ◽

Strength Assessment ◽

Knee Flexor ◽

Hamstring Strain ◽

Typical Error ◽

Flexor Strength

Context: Eccentric knee flexor strength assessments have a key role in both prevention and rehabilitation of hamstring strain injuries. Objective: To verify the reliability of a clinical test for measuring eccentric knee flexor strength during the Nordic hamstring exercise using a commercially available handheld dynamometer. Design: Reliability study. Setting: Physical Therapy Laboratory, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (Brazil). Participants: Fifty male amateur athletes (soccer or rugby players; 24 [3] y). Main Outcome Measures: Eccentric knee flexor strength. Results: When compared with a load cell–based device, the clinical test using a handheld dynamometer provided smaller force values (P < .05) with large effect sizes (.92–1.21), moderate intraclass correlation (.60–.62), typical error of 30 to 31 N, and coefficient of variation of 10% to 11%. Regarding the test–retest reproducibility (2 sessions separated by 1 week), the clinical test provided similar force values (P > .05) with only small effect sizes (.20–.27), moderate to good correlation (.67–.76), typical error of 23 to 24 N, and coefficient of variation of 9% to 10%. Conclusion: The clinical test with handheld dynamometer proposed by this study can be considered an affordable and relatively reliable tool for eccentric knee flexor strength assessment in the clinical setting, but results should not be directly compared with those provided by load cell–based devices.

Download Full-text

The deficits of isometric knee flexor strength in lengthened hamstring position after hamstring strain injury

Physical Therapy in Sport ◽

10.1016/j.ptsp.2021.11.011 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ginji Nara ◽

Mina Samukawa ◽

Kensuke Oba ◽

Yuta Koshino ◽

Tomoya Ishida ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Knee Flexor ◽

Hamstring Strain ◽

Flexor Strength

Download Full-text

Preseason intrinsic risk factors—associated odds estimate the exposure to proximal lower limb injury throughout the season among professional football players

BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine ◽

10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000334 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. e000334 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rogério Ferreira Liporaci ◽

Marcelo Camargo Saad ◽

Débora Bevilaqua-Grossi ◽

Marcelo Riberto

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Functional Performance ◽

Performance Evaluations ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Football Players ◽

Lower Limb Injury ◽

Score System ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Soccer Teams ◽

History Of

Background/aimFootball players frequently face the occurrence of non-contact musculoskeletal injuries. The purpose of the study was to verify whether the evaluation of combined risk factors could produce a score system to determine the probability of injury in football players during the Brazilian football season.MethodsSixty-two male professional soccer players recruited from the first and second division soccer teams, with ages between 18 and 36 years. Functional performance evaluations were carried out at the beginning of the preseason which included strength and jumping tests, history of injuries and characteristics of athletes.Results and conclusionsThe results were grouped and a score/monogram was constructed.

Download Full-text

Psychological Predictors of Injury among Professional Soccer Players

Sport Science Review ◽

10.2478/v10237-011-0062-3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 20 (5-6) ◽

pp. 5-36 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Casper Devantier

Keyword(s):

Trait Anxiety ◽

Medical Staff ◽

Psychological Factors ◽

Coping Resources ◽

Soccer Players ◽

Psychological Predictors ◽

Sport Injuries ◽

Professional Soccer ◽

Injury Occurrence ◽

History Of

Psychological Predictors of Injury among Professional Soccer Players Objectives: Numerous empirical studies suggest that specific psychological factors influence the frequency and severity of sport injuries. The main purpose of the present study is to outline the psychological factors, which predict increased injury vulnerability among professional male soccer players in Denmark. Based on the Stress-Injury Model by Williams & Anderson (1998) it is hypothesized that low coping resources, high competitive trait anxiety, and history of previous injuries would be positively related to an increased risk of injury occurrence and severity. Methods: The soccer players (N = 87) were asked to report history of previous injuries within the last 12 months. Furthermore, 2 questionnaires were used; Competitive Trait Anxiety Test, and Athletic Coping Skills Inventory - 28 (ACSI-28). Injuries were prospectively recorded throughout a period of approximately 3 months by the team's medical staff (doctors and physiotherapists). Results: Study findings clearly suggest that history of previous injury and coping with adversity are the best predictors of injury occurrence. These factors explained between 7 % and 11 % of the total variance of injury occurrence and days lost due to injury respectively. Furthermore, the same variables were found very successful in prediction injury occurrence. Conclusions: The findings support the suggestions that psychological factors can be utilized as a predictive measurement to sport injuries, which should be considered by coaches and medical staff in order to reduce vulnerability to injury.

Download Full-text