Hamstring Injury Prevention In Soccer Players

I was all alone, the ball at my feet. I had a man approaching, but to me that just meant he was leaving space somewhere. A looked over my shoulder and played a perfect, favoured back heel, and off my right-winger went. At the same time, I felt a twinge in my upper right hamstring and my hand was over it reflexively. I had pulled a hamstring. Like anybody else, I tried to walk it off, but to no avail. Ice, heat, rest, foam rolling, and stretching did nothing but tell me how badly I was hurt over the next few days.

While there is no one cause for hamstring injury in soccer players, some factors may be predictive of injury than others. Flexibility abnormalities (Witrouw, 2003), issues related to warm-up and fatigue have been reported as increasing the risk of hamstring strain. Verrall et al., (2005) believe that stretching can improve force absorption for a given length of muscle, thereby making the muscle more resistant to injury that occurs when the muscle is stretched. It has been suggested that strength imbalances play a particularly important role in injury (Crosier, 2004), as it was in my case.

In a study involving 462 professional players, Crosier et al., (2008) found that players with untreated strength imbalances, mostly between the quads and hamstrings, were found to be 4 to 5 times more likely to sustain a hamstring injury when compared with the normal group. They concluded that normalizing the strength profile significantly reduces injury frequency. It goes without saying that performance will be less than optimal in the presence of imbalances as well. Because of the high prevalence of hamstring injuries, a preventive bodyweight and, in time, weight-training program could be undertaken by all players. Programs must include specific sequences targeting increased hamstring strength, particularly in the eccentric mode.


The primary function of the hamstrings, particularly when running, is hip extension. It is the glutes, the hamstrings, and other muscles about the sacroiliac joint that propel the body forward. Thanks to Bret Contreras, I know now about load vector training. Simply put, when we run, our hips move from back to front, (anteroposterior direction), we shout train movements that emphasize that direction as well- remember the principle of specificity. Below are a few exercises that have been my mainstay since my injury and they will, hopefully, help players stay off the sidelines, because of non-contact hamstring injuries, at the very least. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but its a start!

Body weight Exercises

Nordic Hamstring Exercise- I have mentioned this exercise in a previous article. The importance of training the eccentric contraction of the hamstring cannot be overstated. This exercise in particular was included in FIFA's "11+" programme, which has produced such good results, the governing body recommends that it replace the regular warm-ups of players aged 14 and older. This video is from that programme's manual.

Swiss ball hamstring curls

Glute Bridge

Weight Training Exercises- these are for advanced players who have weight training history/experience. Do not attempt these otherwise!

Romanian Deadlifts

Kettlebell swings

Lying leg curls

Lying leg press (legs high on the plate)

Weighted back extensions

Hip thrusts- Since my own injury, I have been doing hip thrusts among my other exercises. Consequently, I have stronger glutes, and for that I am faster without having to worry my hamstring injury recurring. So in honor of the Glute Guy, here's a video of him demonstrating this move he has championed:

References

Croisier et al., (2008). Strength Imbalances and Prevention of Hamstring Injury in Professional Soccer Players. A Prospective Study. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. X, No. X

Witvrouw E, Danneels L, Asselman P, D’Have T, Cambier D., (2003). Muscle flexibility as a risk factor for developing muscle injuries in male professional soccer players: a prospective study. In Croisier et al., (2008). Strength Imbalances and Prevention of Hamstring Injury in Professional Soccer Players. A Prospective Study. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. X, No. X

Worrell TW., (1994). Factors associated with hamstring injuries: an approach to treatment and preventative measures. In Croisier et al., (2008). Strength Imbalances and Prevention of Hamstring Injury in Professional Soccer Players. A Prospective Study. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Vol. X, No. X