Hamstrings remain one of football's black marks, and a recent study ("The Speed Dynamics of Different Sprint and Acceleration Exercises Applied During Football Training") confirms what French national team physio Alexandre Germain stated during his Vcoaching conference: the best way to prevent speed-related injuries is to expose players to them regularly. The researchers analysed the speed dynamics generated by different sprint and acceleration exercises and demonstrated that players who approach their maximum speed in training develop better neuromuscular tolerance and reduce their risk of injury. As physical trainer and sports physiotherapist Christophe Da Furriela summarizes, "prevention involves adapting to the actual demand. If the match requires high-intensity sprints, the body must be prepared for these constraints whilst not avoiding them. Unfortunately, the trend in many clubs remains the opposite, and the fear of injury two days before the match leads to shorter pitches and depriving players of their maximum speed." For the specialist, for a match scheduled for Saturday, the ideal planning follows "a W-shaped strategy: a peak load on Tuesday (high density and deliberately created fatigue) and a peak intensity on Thursday (long sprints such as LS40, at around 85% or more of maximum speed, on a reduced volume). This work can also be integrated in the form of separate blocks of physical preparation, to ensure that each player maintains their weekly exposure to high intensity."
‘Preventing hamstring injuries: dare to go fast two days before the race,’ according to a recent study presented by fitness coach Christophe Da Furriela / ©Icon Sport