Relationship between Peak Eccentric Force during the Nordic Hamstring Exercise and One Repetition Maximum Deadlift...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• The Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is recognized for its efficacy in preventing hamstring strain injuries.
• Low adoption rates of NHE in sports necessitate safe and effective implementation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between eccentric force generated during the NHE and the one-repetition maximum (1RM) of the deadlift.
• To test the hypothesis that eccentric force in NHE correlates with deadlift 1RM.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving healthy student rugby players without prior hamstring tears.
• Measurement of peak eccentric forces during NHE and calculation of deadlift 1RM using a standardized formula.
• Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used to analyze the relationship between forces, adjusted for body mass.

Main Results:

• Peak eccentric forces during NHE were 3.8 ± 1.1 N/BM (right leg), 3.8 ± 1.2 N/BM (left leg), and 7.6 ± 2.1 N/BM (total).
• Deadlift 1RM averaged 1.9 ± 0.3 kg/BM.
• Weak correlations (r = 0.34–0.37) were observed between deadlift 1RM and NHE eccentric forces.

Conclusions:

• A weak correlation exists between the peak eccentric force during the Nordic hamstring exercise and the one-repetition maximum of the deadlift.
• Findings suggest that NHE eccentric strength may not be a direct predictor of deadlift performance.