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Hamstring muscle elasticity differs in specialized high-performance athletes.

Simon Avrillon1,2, Lilian Lacourpaille2, François Hug2,3,4

  • 1Laboratory Sport, Expertise and Performance (EA 7370), French Institute of Sport (INSEP), Paris, France.

Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
|October 9, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Elite athletes in sports requiring large ranges of motion show altered passive shear modulus in the semimembranosus (SM) muscle. This finding highlights sport-specific adaptations in hamstring mechanical properties, not observed in all elite athletes.

Keywords:
elite athletesshear wave elastographystiffness

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Area of Science:

  • Biomechanics
  • Sports Science
  • Musculoskeletal Ultrasound

Background:

  • Assessing hamstring flexibility via range of motion or passive torque lacks specificity to individual muscle properties.
  • Understanding selective adaptations in synergist muscles is crucial for evaluating training interventions.
  • Shear wave elastography offers a method to characterize passive mechanical properties of individual muscles.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in passive shear modulus of hamstring muscles (semitendinosus, semimembranosus, biceps femoris) between elite athletes and controls.
  • To determine if sport specialization influences hamstring passive mechanical properties.

Main Methods:

  • Shear wave elastography was used to measure passive shear modulus of the semitendinosus (ST), semimembranosus (SM), and biceps femoris (BF) muscles.
  • Measurements were taken with the knee flexed at 60° and 90°, and hip flexed at 90°.
  • 97 elite athletes across various sports and 12 controls participated.

Main Results:

  • A lower shear modulus in the SM was observed in athletes from figure skating, taekwondo, fencing, and soccer compared to controls at 60° knee flexion.
  • No significant differences in shear modulus were found for ST and BF muscles between elite athletes and controls.
  • Athletes in running sprint, field hockey, and basketball did not show significant differences in SM shear modulus.

Conclusions:

  • Elite athletes in sports involving large ranges of motion and/or extensive stretching exhibit altered passive shear modulus, specifically in the semimembranosus muscle.
  • These findings suggest sport-specific adaptations in hamstring passive mechanical properties.
  • Shear wave elastography is a valuable tool for characterizing muscle-specific adaptations to athletic training.