One possible rephrasing: Prioritizing strength training prior to commencing running could potentially provide the optimal solution. Enhancing strength and flexibility, along with the supportive muscles surrounding them, offers the greatest defense against hamstring injuries.
To begin, here’s a brief anatomy lesson. Your thigh is composed of two sets of muscles that work in opposition to each other: the quadriceps at the front and the hamstrings at the back. The hamstrings enable hip extension and knee flexion, whereas the quadriceps perform the opposite functions of hip flexion and knee extension. Additionally, these muscle groups play a significant role in stabilizing the knee joint, particularly during activities such as running.
Due to their increased use in daily activities such as prolonged sitting, the quadriceps naturally emerge as the larger and stronger muscle group, displaying dominance. Therefore, it is likely that the hamstrings, being comparatively weaker, face a higher susceptibility to injuries. Additionally, since both the hamstrings and quadriceps cross the hip and knee joints, they are at an elevated risk of harm.
To effectively enhance the strength of your hamstring muscles, increase the flexibility of your quadriceps muscles, and strengthen your core, it is advisable to follow a well-designed strength routine.
Leg curls, deadlifts, and hip extension movements are examples of targeted strength training exercises for the hamstrings.
In order to enhance the communication and coordination between the hamstrings and quadriceps and prevent the hamstrings from being overwhelmed by the quadriceps during running, incorporating stability exercises such as single-leg balancing, single-leg squats, and lunges is beneficial.
In addition to being effective exercises for the entire lower body, double leg squats and lunges engage both the hamstrings and quadriceps, rather than isolating the hamstrings. This 10-minute stability performance workout is highly recommended for targeting any weaknesses on recovery days.
MECHANICS OF A HAMSTRING STRAIN
The bicep femoris muscle is the most frequently injured muscle among the hamstrings, making up 53% of all hamstring injuries. When sprinting, the most common type of hamstring strain is usually in the bicep femoris, while over-lengthening injuries often happen in the semimembranous and semitendinous muscles.
During my practice, I commonly discover that there are typically a few underlying variables that serve as the primary reason behind any sudden non-contact injury. Here, I present the three main aspects that frequently contribute to hamstring strains.
1). PELVIC POSITIONING
One frequently observes that pelvic malpositioning, particularly anterior pelvic tilt, serves as the underlying cause for many of these injuries. Several studies have indicated anterior pelvic tilt as a “modifiable risk factor” for biceps femoris strain. Let us pause to contemplate the impact of anterior pelvic tilt on the hip and core muscles.
Maintaining a neutral pelvis requires the hamstrings, along with the diaphragm, obliques, and glutes, to work together in order to control the innominate vertically.
When there is an anterior pelvic tilt, the ischial tuberosity moves upwards, leading to alterations in the length-tension relationships of the muscles around the pelvis. Consequently, the obliques, glutes, and diaphragm are inhibited, placing greater eccentric strain on the hamstring muscles to keep the pelvis in place. This chronic eccentric loading often gives rise to the feeling of “tight hamstrings” among individuals with anterior tilt, when in fact their hamstrings are actually “locked long” due to being excessively stretched and inhibited.
2). INHIBITION OF PRIMARY HIP EXTENSORS
When the gluteus maximus is weak and inhibited, it can lead to changes in how muscles are activated, causing the hamstrings to take over as the main muscle for hip extension. The hamstrings becoming the dominant muscle over the glutes greatly increases the strain on the hamstrings during contraction, making them highly prone to injuries from excessive use.
3). POOR ECCENTRIC HAMSTRING STRENGTH
A lot of training programs prioritize the training of the hamstrings’ concentric contraction but often overlook the need to develop eccentric strength. Although concentric strength is important for generating force, it is crucial to also focus on developing eccentric strength for force absorption. The majority of non-contact soft tissue injuries happen when there is tendon failure during the eccentric contraction phase. When sprinting, the hamstrings are under significant eccentric pressure to stabilize the knee and pelvis. Failing to properly prepare the hamstrings to handle high levels of eccentric stress significantly raises the risk of experiencing a hamstring strain.
The dysfunctions mentioned above will eventually cause overuse injury or tendon rupture due to the heightened strain on the hamstrings. The conflicting eccentric and concentric requirements frequently result in excessive stress on the tendon when the heel strikes during walking.
The hamstring group exhibits maximum activity just before and after the foot makes contact with the ground during sprinting. The bicep femoris experiences the most eccentric stress during the final 20% of the swinging phase of walking, which helps slow down knee extension. After this, the hamstrings need to switch from eccentric contraction to a brief isometric contraction at heel strike before contracting concentrically to support the glutes in hip extension. It is at this crucial transition period between the end of swinging and the beginning of stepping that many hamstring strains are likely to happen.
PRACTICAL INTERVENTIONS
RESTORING PELVIC ALIGNMENT
Restoring the client’s pelvic alignment should be the initial step in your protocol for preventing and rehabilitating hamstring injuries. It is crucial to address breathing and pelvic alignment first, as any dysfunction at this stage will hinder your future progress.
FUNCTIONAL HAMSTRING STRENGTHENING
It is crucial to take into account the factors that commonly cause injury when prescribing strength exercises for hamstring rehabilitation and injury prevention. As previously noted, a hamstring strain often occurs due to a combination of excessive eccentric stress and inadequate glute muscle strength. Therefore, it is advisable to incorporate exercises that target both of these aspects when designing the exercise regimen.
• SINGLE LEG DEADLIFT
• SLIDEBOARD LEG CURL PROGRESSION
