Effects of Repeated Sprints on Hamstring Active Shear Modulus Pattern and Neuromuscular Parameters in Football Players with and without Hamstring Strain Injury History—A Retrospective Study

Abstract

The aim of the present study is to compare the effects of a (i) repeated sprint protocol on the sprint performance, hamstrings shear modulus pattern, and neuromuscular parameters between players with and without previous hamstring strain injury (HSI); and (ii) between limbs with HSI and their healthy contralateral limbs on the hamstrings shear modulus pattern and neuromuscular parameters. One-hundred-and-five professional and semiprofessional football field players were invited to participate in this study during the pre-season 2021/2022 (June–July), resulting in a sample size of 210 limbs with 46 sustaining HSI in the previous 2 years. No differences were seen between previously injured and healthy control players regarding their sprint performance, hamstrings shear modulus pattern, and neuromuscular parameters, except for the early rate of torque development (0–50 ms) with previously injured limbs in the biceps femoris long head (BFlh) displaying higher rates than their contralateral muscle (injured: 496.93 ± 234.22 Nm/s; contralateral 422.72 ± 208.29 Nm/s; p = 0.005; η2p = 0.469). Overall, the present study provides evidence for no differences regarding sprint performance, hamstrings load sharing pattern, and major neuromuscular parameters between players with previous HSI in the last 2 years and healthy control players. Therefore, the results can possibly suggest that the duration between injury and screening could recover the differences between injured-control and injured-contralateral groups.

Keywords

• shear wave elastography
• sprints
• fatigue
• peak torque
• rate of torque development
• tissue properties