Associations between Hamstring Fatigue and Sprint Kinematics during a Simulated Football (Soccer) Match

Abstract

Purpose: Neuromuscular fatigue is considered to be important in the etiology of hamstring strain injuries in football. Fatigue is assumed to lead to decreases in hamstring contractile strength and changes in sprinting kinematics, which would increase hamstring strain injury risk. Therefore, the aim was to examine the effects of football-specific fatigue on hamstring maximal voluntary torque (MVT) and rate of torque development (RTD), in relation to alterations in sprinting kinematics. Methods: Ten amateur football players executed a 90-min running-based football match simulation. Before and after every 15 min of simulated play, MVT and RTD of the hamstrings were obtained in addition to the performance and lower body kinematics during a 20-m maximal sprint. Linear mixed models and repeated measurement correlations were used to assess changes over time and common within participant associations between hamstring contractile properties and peak knee extension during the final part of the swing phase, peak hip flexion, peak combined knee extension and hip flexion, and peak joint angular velocities, respectively. Results: Hamstring MVT and sprint performance were significantly reduced by 7.5% and 14.3% at the end of the football match simulation. Unexpectedly, there were no indications for reductions in RTD when MVT decrease was considered. Decreases in hamstring MVT were significantly correlated to decreases in peak knee angle (R = 0.342) and to increases in the peak combined angle (R = −0.251). Conclusions: During a football match simulation, maximal voluntary isometric hamstring torque declines. This decline is related to greater peak knee extension and peak combined angle during sprint running, which indicates a reduced capacity of the hamstrings to decelerate the lower leg during sprint running with fatigue.

Effects of Fatigue Induced by Repeated Sprints on Sprint Biomechanics in Football Players: Should We Look at the Group or the Individual?

“…These results clearly show the importance of the individual characteristics of each person in their responses to fatigue. Indeed, two other studies have also described the impact of fatigue on the knee joint [ 72 , 73 ]. The two studies mentioned above showed opposite results.…”

“…The two studies mentioned above showed opposite results. In fact, Wilmes et al (2021) [ 72 ] reported an increase in peak knee extension, while Baumert et al (2021) [ 73 ] showed a decrease in peak knee extension during fatigue. In the present study, some athletes adopted a movement pattern that would protect them from hamstring strain, but others showed body arrangements that potentially increased this strain and in turn probably their risk of hamstring injuries.…”

The Acute Effects of Small-Sided Games on Hamstring Strength in Young Soccer Players

“…The monitoring of this value, on the other hand, represents a relevant indicator for hamstring injury risk reducing (Śliwowski et al, 2015;Mendiguchia et al, 2012): it allows us to understand the effects of peripheral fatigue deriving from sport-specific exercises and the performance relationships (Wilmes et al, 2021;Castillo et al, 2021).…”

“…The diffusion of sport-specific exercises rather than general ones (which are easier to control in terms of intensity and volume) could lead to an overload on some muscle groups that are most frequently engaged in soccer ability (Madison et al, 2019;Wilmes et al, 2021;Ekstrand et al, 2016).…”

“…Infact, today there are few studies that have attempted to know whether SSGs and the most widespread sport-specific exercises in football player training can determine fatigue conditions on specific muscle groups (Greig, 2019;Rhodes et al, 2019;Greig and Siegler, 2009) and on hamstrings in particular (Madison et al, 2019;Wilmes et al, 2021;Small et al, 2010).…”