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Prevention of hamstring strains in elite soccer: an intervention study
A Arnason1, T E Andersen, I Holme
1Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Oslo, Norway. arnarna@hi.is
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
|March 16, 2007
Summary
Eccentric strength training, including Nordic hamstring exercises and warm-up stretching, significantly reduced hamstring strains in elite soccer players. Flexibility training alone did not show a similar protective effect against these common soccer injuries.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Exercise Physiology
- Injury Prevention
Background:
- Hamstring strains are a common and recurrent injury in soccer, leading to significant player absence.
- Previous research suggests various training interventions may reduce injury incidence, but evidence is mixed.
- Understanding the specific effects of eccentric strength and flexibility training is crucial for effective injury prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of eccentric strength training and flexibility training on the occurrence of hamstring strains in professional soccer.
- To compare the incidence of hamstring strains between teams utilizing specific training interventions and those that did not.
Main Methods:
- Prospective registration of hamstring strains and player exposure over four consecutive soccer seasons (1999-2002) in 17-30 elite teams.
- Implementation of intervention programs (warm-up stretching, flexibility, and/or eccentric strength training) during the final two seasons.
- Comparison of injury incidence between intervention and control groups, and against baseline data.
Main Results:
- Flexibility training alone did not significantly alter hamstring strain incidence compared to non-intervention groups or baseline data.
- Teams implementing eccentric strength training (Nordic hamstring lowers with warm-up stretching) demonstrated a significantly lower incidence of hamstring strains.
- The reduction in hamstring strains was statistically significant when comparing intervention teams to non-intervention teams (RR=0.43, P=0.01) and to their own baseline (RR=0.42, P=0.009).
Conclusions:
- Eccentric strength training, specifically Nordic hamstring lowers combined with warm-up stretching, appears effective in reducing hamstring strain risk in elite soccer.
- Flexibility training, when implemented alone, did not provide a significant protective effect against hamstring strains in this cohort.
- Further validation through randomized clinical trials is recommended to confirm these findings and establish definitive injury prevention guidelines.
