Return to match running performance after a hamstring injury in elite football: a single-centre retrospective cohort study

Abstract

ObjectivesTo determine the number of matches to return to pre-injury match running performance after sustaining an acute hamstring injury.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, the injuries of the players of the first, Under21, Under19, Under18 and Under17 teams of a professional football club in the period 2017–2020 were analysed. Acute hamstring injuries with a minimal absence from training or match play of 7 days were included. For running performance, we assessed the following variables: maximal velocity (km/hour), total distance, high-intensity distance (17.5–22.5 km/hour) and sprint distance (>22.5 km/hour). We calculated the average and 95% CI for these variables during the last five matches before the injury. The primary outcome was the number of matches to reach maximal velocity within the 95% CI of the player’s individual pre-injury performance. Secondary outcome scores included the duration (in days and matches) to reach the other running performance variables.Results18 hamstring injuries in 15 players were included. 15 out of 18 injuries (83%) showed a return to pre-injury maximal velocity in the second match after return to play. The median number of matches to return to pre-injury maximal velocity was 2 (IQR 1–2). In the first match after return to play, pre-injury total distance was reached in 100% of the injuries, pre-injury sprint distance was reached in 94% of the injuries and pre-injury high-intensity distance was reached in 89% of the injuries.ConclusionFollowing an acute hamstring injury in elite football, pre-injury match running performance is reached in the first or second match.

High‐speed running during match‐play before and after return from hamstring injury in professional footballers

“…Restoring high‐speed running ability following a hamstring injury represents an important aim for the rehabilitation and return to play process, 8 yet, as part of this process little attention has been paid to the subsequent on‐field performance of professional football players recovered from hamstring injury 10,11 . We have demonstrated that players returning to match‐play after hamstring injury experienced reductions in high‐speed running distances and maximal sprinting speed that are not distinguishable from the within‐subject match‐to‐match variability in the context of the present study.…”

“…10 This study was limited by a relatively small sample that aggregated data from different sports (football, rugby union, and rugby league). A study in a group of 15 footballers from one organization suggested that the majority of players (83%) return to pre-injury maximum match running speed within two games, with maximum running speed taking, at most, five games to return to pre-injury levels 11 and other running metrics (relative total distance covered, relative distance covered at 17.5-22.5 km/h and relative distance covered at >22.5 km/h) normalizing sooner. Aside from this, there are no published data documenting return to sport running performance after hamstring injury.…”

“…Aside from this, there are no published data documenting return to sport running performance after hamstring injury. Furthermore, previous studies 10,11 failed to interpret changes in match physical performance variables against an established anchor in terms of match-to-match variability to better understand the practical relevance of any changes. 12,13 We therefore sought to describe the high-speed running performance of professional football players prior and subsequent to a hamstring strain injury to better understand whether there are any performance decrements after return to sport.…”