As demonstrated in 2021 by Swedish professor Jan Ekstrand, hamstring injuries account for 12 to 16% of muscle injuries in professional football. What if these risks could be reduced by seven, without expensive equipment, and with the help of a few preventive exercises? This is what Spaniard Javier Raya-González demonstrated based on a study of U19 players. Over several months, the researcher at the University of Cordoba demonstrated that eccentric strength training (for example, the Nordic Hamstring) strengthens the muscle's ability to resist stretching in the terminal phase of sprinting. He also observed the benefits of sprint training, a method that aims to improve players' speed, explosiveness, and power over short distances (generally between 5 and 30 meters) to prevent injuries. The specialist recommends hill sprints once or twice a week in addition to the planned physical workout. The goal? Improve sprinting performance and posture, drastically reducing the risk of injury.
Brief
Everton and Republic of Ireland captain Seamus Coleman succumbs to a hamstring injury / © Sky_Sports