Muscle Fibre Typology as a Novel Risk Factor for Hamstring Strain Injuries in Professional Football (Soccer): A...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are common in team sports, often occurring late in games.
• Identifying individual factors like muscle fatigue and injury risk is crucial.
• Muscle fiber typology is a potential determinant of muscle fatigue and HSI risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate muscle fiber typology as a risk factor for hamstring strain injuries (HSI).

Main Methods:

• A prospective cohort study involving 165 professional football players across two leagues over three seasons.
• Muscle fiber typology was assessed non-invasively using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy, analyzing carnosine concentration in the soleus muscle.
• Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified risk factors for HSI.

Main Results:

• Football players showed varied muscle typologies: slow (44.9%), intermediate (39.8%), and fast (15.3%).
• Players with fast muscle typology had a 5.3-fold higher risk of sustaining an HSI compared to slow typology players.
• This association was significant and independent in both the Belgian Jupiler Pro League and the English Premier League.

Conclusions:

• Muscle fiber typology is a newly identified and significant risk factor for hamstring strain injuries in team sports.
• This finding has implications for understanding and potentially mitigating HSI in athletes.
• Targeted interventions based on muscle fiber type could enhance injury prevention protocols.