Prevention of Hamstring Injuries in Sprinters

by Amber Murphy, Ralph Mann, and Bridget Ann Frugoli Melton, EdD, CSCS, TSAC-F
NSCA Coach December 2019
Vol 6, Issue 3

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The purpose of this article is to describe the cause of hamstring injuries in sprinters and present a biomechanical intervention, or drill, that can be used to prevent hamstring injuries while transitioning sprint athletes toward the utilization of frontside mechanics.

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This article originally appeared in NSCA Coach, a quarterly publication for NSCA Members that provides valuable takeaways for every level of strength and conditioning coach. You can find scientifically based articles specific to a wide variety of your athletes’ needs with Nutrition, Programming, and Youth columns. Read more articles from NSCA Coach »

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References

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2. Behrens, MJ, and Simonson, SRA. Comparison of the various methods used to enhance sprint speed. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 33(2): 64-71. 2011.

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4. Brown, TD, and Vescovi, JD. Maximum speed: Misconceptions of sprinting. Strength and Conditioning Journal 34(2); 37-41. 2012.

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6. Chumanov, ES, Heiderscheit, BC, and Thelen, DG. The effect of speed and influence of individual muscles on hamstring mechanics during the swing phase of sprinting. Journal of Biomechanics 40(16): 3555-3562, 2007.

7. Chumanov, ES, Heiderscheit, BC, and Thelen, DG. Hamstring musculotendon dynamics during stance and swing phases of high-speed running. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 43(3): 525–532, 2011.

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9. Guex, K, Gojanovic, B, and Millet, GP. Influence of hip-flexion angle on hamstrings isokinetic activity in sprinters. Journal of Athletic Training 47(4): 390-395, 2012.

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11. Hamill, J, Knutzen, KM, and Derrick, TR. Biomechanical basis of human movement (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2015.

12. Kerkhoffs, GM, Es, NV, Wieldraaijer, T, Sierevelt, IN, Ekstrand, J, and Dijk, CN. Diagnosis and prognosis of acute hamstring injuries in athletes. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy 21(2): 500-509, 2013.

13. Koral, J, Oranchuk, DJ, Herrera, R, and Millet, GY. Six sessions of sprint interval training improves running performance in trained athletes. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 32 (3): 617-623, 2018.

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16. Mann, R, and Murphy, A. The mechanics of sprinting and hurdling. Las Vegas, NV: CompuSport; 2018.

17. Mendiguchia, J, Edouard, P, Samozino, P, Brughelli, M, Cross, M, Ross, A, et al. Field monitoring of sprinting power–force–velocity profile before, during and after hamstring injury: Two case reports. Journal of Sports Sciences 34(6): 535-541, 2015.

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19. Whelan, N, Kenny, IC, and Harrison, AJ. An insight into track and field coaches’ knowledge and use of sprinting drills to improve performance. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching 11(2): 182-190, 2016.

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21. Yu, B, Liu, H, and Garrett, WE. Mechanism of hamstring muscle strain injury in sprinting. Journal of Sport and Health Science 6(2): 130-132, 2017.

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Ralph O. Mann

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Ralph Mann is the founder and President of CompuSport. He is apioneer in conducting sports research, and using these results toproduce computer-based ...

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About the author

Bridget Ann Frugoli Melton, EdD, CSCS,*D, TSAC-F,*D

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