Functional differences in the activity of the hamstring muscles with increasing running speed

Abstract

In this study, we examined hamstring muscle activation at different running speeds to help better understand the functional characteristics of each hamstring muscle. Eight healthy male track and field athletes (20.1 +/- 1.1 years) performed treadmill running at 50%, 75%, 85%, and 95% of their maximum velocity. Lower extremity kinematics of the hip and knee joint were calculated. The surface electromyographic activities of the biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles were also recorded. Increasing the running speed from 85% to 95% significantly increased the activation of the hamstring muscles during the late swing phase, while lower extremity kinematics did not change significantly. During the middle swing phase, the activity of the semitendinosus muscle was significantly greater than that of the biceps femoris muscle at 75%, 85%, and 95% of running speed. Statistically significant differences in peak activation time were observed between the biceps femoris and semitendinosus during 95%max running (P < 0.05 for stance phase, P < 0.01 for late swing phase). Significant differences in the activation patterns between the biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles were observed as running speed was increased, indicating that complex neuromuscular coordination patterns occurred during the running cycle at near maximum sprinting speeds.

Differences in activation properties of the hamstring muscles during overground sprinting

“…One study examined the EMG activation of the BF and ST muscles during treadmill sprinting at different speeds and found different characteristics of EMG activation between these two muscles within the gait cycle at near-maximum sprinting speed [16]. However, treadmill sprinting differs from overground The purpose of this study was to quantify activation of the biceps femoris (BF) and medial hamstring (MH) during overground sprinting.…”

Differences in Activation Patterns of the Hamstring Muscles During Sprinting

“…These results can be explained anatomically by the fact that in the proximal hamstring, the BFlh and ST muscles have a combined tendon origin and proximal part of their muscle (Gibbs et al 2004 ). Considering the relations between the anatomical features of the proximal hamstrings and injury location, differences in the activation patterns between the BFlh and ST muscles, which were found in our previous studies (Higashihara et al 2010 ;Higashihara et al 2013 ), might have signifi cant effects on the mechanism of hamstring strain. During sprinting at near maximum speed, a complex neuromuscular coordination pattern is accomplished according to each hamstring muscle's specifi c functional differences.…”

“…Kyrolainen et al ( 2005 ) found that the greatest change in the BF muscle activity pattern occurred as the speed increased from that of a slow jog to the maximum and indicated that increasing the running speed effectively requires increased EMG activity in the two-joint muscles during the entire running cycle. We previously investigated activation patterns of the lateral and medial hamstring muscles during treadmill sprinting at different speeds and observed changes in activity patterns of the BFlh and ST muscles as the speed increased (Higashihara et al 2010 ). There were no signifi cant differences in the timing of peak activation of the BFlh and ST muscles at speeds below 95 % max.…”

“…The hamstring muscles activate from mid-swing until the terminal stance of sprinting (Chumanov et al 2011 ;Higashihara et al 2010 ;Jonhagen et al 1996 ;Kyrolainen et al 1999Kyrolainen et al , 2005Simonsen et al 1985 ;Yu et al 2008 ), with peaks of activation during the terminal swing and early stance phases (Chumanov et al 2011 ;Higashihara et al 2010Higashihara et al , 2013Yu et al 2008 ) (Fig. 25.1b ).…”

“…Previous studies (Higashihara et al 2010 ;Kyrolainen et al 2005 ;Mero and Komi 1987 ;Schache et al 2013 ) have examined activity of the lower extremity muscles during running at different speeds. Kyrolainen et al ( 2005 ) found that the greatest change in the BF muscle activity pattern occurred as the speed increased from that of a slow jog to the maximum and indicated that increasing the running speed effectively requires increased EMG activity in the two-joint muscles during the entire running cycle.…”