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Editorial
Sprinting: a key piece of the hamstring injury risk management puzzle
  1. Pascal Edouard1,2,
  2. Jurdan Mendiguchia3,
  3. Kenny Guex4,5,
  4. Johan Lahti6,
  5. Caroline Prince7,8,
  6. Pierre Samozino7,
  7. Jean-Benoît Morin1,9
  1. 1 Inter-University Laboratory of Human Movement Biology, Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
  2. 2 Department of Clinical and Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine Unit, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne, France
  3. 3 Department of Physical Therapy, ZENTRUM Rehab and Performance Center, Barañain, Spain
  4. 4 School of Health Sciences (HESAV), HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland
  5. 5 Swiss Athletics, Haus des Sports, Ittigen, Switzerland
  6. 6 LAMHESS, Université Côte d’Azur, Nice, France
  7. 7 Inter-university Laboratory of Human Movement Biology, EA 7424, Univ Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry, France
  8. 8 Physiotherapy department and motion analysis lab, Swiss Olympic Medical Center, La Tour Hospital, Meyrin, Switzerland
  9. 9 Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
  1. Correspondence to Pr Pascal Edouard, Department of Clinical and Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine Unit, IRMIS, Campus Santé Innovations, University Hospital of Saint-Etienne, Saint-Etienne 42 055, France; Pascal.Edouard{at}univ-st-etienne.fr

https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2022-105532

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    Improvements in hamstring injury risk management strategies are necessary, especially in sports requiring ‘sprinting’ (ie, maximal acceleration and/or velocity). Sprinting represents about two-thirds of hamstring injury mechanisms.1 Several sprinting-related parameters are associated with hamstring injuries.2–5 Thus, this editorial aims to (1) emphasise the importance of sprinting and (2) provide general principles for practical implementation of sprinting interventions as a component of hamstring injury risk management in primary and secondary prevention.

    Why should we consider sprinting as a piece of the hamstring injury risk management puzzle?

    First, as an injury mechanism,1 sprinting represents one parameter on which we can act to reduce hamstring injury risk. Sprinting kinematics such as greater anterior pelvic tilt and thoracic side bending during swing phase4 and kinetics such as lower horizontal force production capacity during sprint acceleration5 are associated with higher hamstring injury risk.

    Second, optimal exposure to maximal or near-maximal running velocity is suggested as a protective factor.3 Since an acute and rapid increase in sprinting volume is associated with markedly increased hamstring injury risk,2 a lack of regular preparatory sprint training may induce a higher risk of sprint-related injuries.6 Simply put, the hamstring muscles need to be prepared to safely provide the ‘function’ it is to perform, and …

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    Footnotes

    • Twitter @PascalEdouard42, @lahti_johan, @CarolinPrinC, @PierreSamozino, @jb_morin

    • Contributors PE, JM and J-BM were responsible for the concept. PE was responsible for the write-up. All authors had editorial input into the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.