Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2016; 37(07): 559-564
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-100290
Training & Testing
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Individual Muscle use in Hamstring Exercises by Soccer Players Assessed using Functional MRI

R. Fernandez-Gonzalo
1   Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
,
P. A. Tesch
1   Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
,
R. M. Linnehan
2   National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center, Houston, United States
,
R. B. Kreider
3   Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory, Department of Health & Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, College Station, United States
,
V. Di Salvo
4   Department of Football Performance & Science, ASPIRE Academy, Doha, Qatar
,
L. Suarez-Arrones
4   Department of Football Performance & Science, ASPIRE Academy, Doha, Qatar
,
X. Alomar
5   Department of Radiology, Centres Mèdics Creu Blanca, Barcelona, Spain
,
A. Mendez-Villanueva
4   Department of Football Performance & Science, ASPIRE Academy, Doha, Qatar
,
G. Rodas
6   F.C. Barcelona, Medical Services F.C. Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History



accepted after revision 11 December 2015

Publication Date:
26 April 2016 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare individual muscle use in exercises aimed at preventing hamstring injuries. Thirty-six professional soccer players were randomized into 4 groups, each performing either Nordic hamstring, flywheel leg curl, Russian belt or conic-pulley exercise. MRIs were performed before and immediately after a bout of 4 sets of 8 repetitions. Pre-post exercise differences in contrast shift (T2) were analyzed for the long (BFLh) and short head (BFSh) of biceps femoris, semitendinosus (ST), semimembranosus (SM) and gracilis (GR) muscles. Flywheel leg curl increased (P<0.001) T2 of GR (95%), ST (65%), BFSh (51%) and BFLh (14%). After the Nordic hamstring, GR (39%), ST (16%) and BFSh (14%) showed increased T2 (P<0.001). Russian belt and conic-pulley exercise produced subtle (P<0.02) T2 increases of ST (9 and 6%, respectively) and BFLh (7 and 6%, respectively). Russian belt increased T2 of SM (7%). Among exercises examined, flywheel leg curl showed the most substantial hamstring and GR muscle use. However, no single exercise executed was able to increase T2 of all hamstring and synergist muscles analyzed. It is therefore suggested that multiple exercises must be carried out to bring in, and fully activate all knee flexors and hip extensors.

Key words

eccentric overload - football - gracilis - functional magnetic resonance imaging - iso-inertial exercise
 

  • References

  • 1 Arnason A, Andersen TE, Holme I, Engebretsen L, Bahr R. Prevention of hamstring strains in elite soccer: an intervention study. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2008; 18: 40-48
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Arnason A, Gudmundsson A, Dahl HA, Johannsson E. Soccer injuries in Iceland. Scand J Med Sci Sports 1996; 6: 40-45
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Askling C, Karlsson J, Thorstensson A. Hamstring injury occurrence in elite soccer players after preseason strength training with eccentric overload. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2003; 13: 244-250
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Bourne MN, Opar DA, Williams MD, Al Najjar A, Shield AJ. Muscle activation patterns in the Nordic hamstring exercise: Impact of prior strain injury. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2015; [Epub ahead of print]
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Brooks JH, Fuller CW, Kemp SP, Reddin DB. Incidence, risk, and prevention of hamstring muscle injuries in professional rugby union. Am J Sports Med 2006; 34: 1297-1306
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Cagnie B, Elliott JM, O'Leary S, D'Hooge R, Dickx N, Danneels LA. Muscle functional MRI as an imaging tool to evaluate muscle activity. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2011; 41: 896-903
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Curran-Everett D. Multiple comparisons: philosophies and illustrations. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2000; 279: R1-R8
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Damon BM, Louie EA, Sanchez OA. Physiological basis of muscle functional MRI. J Gravit Physiol 2007; 14: P85-P88
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 de Hoyo M, Pozzo M, Sanudo B, Carrasco L, Gonzalo-Skok O, Dominguez-Cobo S, Moran-Camacho E. Effects of a 10-week in-season eccentric-overload training program on muscle-injury prevention and performance in junior elite soccer players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2015; 10: 46-52
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Dudley GA, Tesch PA, Harris RT, Golden CL, Buchanan P. Influence of eccentric actions on the metabolic cost of resistance exercise. Aviat Space Environ Med 1991; 62: 678-682
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Ekstrand J, Hagglund M, Walden M. Injury incidence and injury patterns in professional football: the UEFA injury study. Br J Sports Med 2011; 45: 553-558
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Enocson AG, Berg HE, Vargas R, Jenner G, Tesch PA. Signal intensity of MR-images of thigh muscles following acute open- and closed chain kinetic knee extensor exercise – index of muscle use. Eur J Appl Physiol 2005; 94: 357-363
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 FC Barcelona, Aspetar. Muscle injuries clinical guide 3.0. http://muscletechnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/MUSCLE-INJURIES-CLINICAL-GUIDE-3.0-LAST-VERSION.pdf 2015 August
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Gabbe BJ, Branson R, Bennell KL. A pilot randomised controlled trial of eccentric exercise to prevent hamstring injuries in community-level Australian Football. J Sci Med Sport 2006; 9: 103-109
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. Ethical standards in sport and exercise science research: 2016 update. Int J Sports Med 2015; 36: 1121-1124
    Google Scholar
  • 16 Jenner G, Foley JM, Cooper TG, Potchen EJ, Meyer RA. Changes in magnetic resonance images of muscle depend on exercise intensity and duration, not work. J Appl Physiol 1994; 76: 2119-2124
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Mendiguchia J, Arcos AL, Garrues MA, Myer GD, Yanci J, Idoate F. The use of MRI to evaluate posterior thigh muscle activity and damage during nordic hamstring exercise. J Strength Cond Res 2013; 27: 3426-3435
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Mendiguchia J, Garrues MA, Cronin JB, Contreras B, Arcos AL, Malliaropoulos N, Maffulli N, Idoate F. Non-uniform changes in MRI measurements of the thigh muscles following two hamstring strengthening exercises. J Strength Cond Res 2013; 27: 574-581
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Meyer RA, Prior BM. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of muscle. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 2000; 28: 89-92
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Mjolsnes R, Arnason A, Osthagen T, Raastad T, Bahr R. A 10-week randomized trial comparing eccentric vs. concentric hamstring strength training in well-trained soccer players. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2004; 14: 311-317
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Ono T, Higashihara A, Fukubayashi T. Hamstring functions during hip-extension exercise assessed with electromyography and magnetic resonance imaging. Res Sports Med 2011; 19: 42-52
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Ono T, Higashihara A, Shinohara J, Hirose N, Fukubayashi T. Estimation of tensile force in the hamstring muscles during overground sprinting. Int J Sports Med 2015; 36: 163-168
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Petersen J, Thorborg K, Nielsen MB, Budtz-Jorgensen E, Holmich P. Preventive effect of eccentric training on acute hamstring injuries in men’s soccer: a cluster-randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med 2011; 39: 2296-2303
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Schuermans J, Van Tiggelen D, Danneels L, Witvrouw E. Biceps femoris and semitendinosus – teammates or competitors? New insights into hamstring injury mechanisms in male football players: a muscle functional MRI study. Br J Sports Med 2014; 48: 1599-1606
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Shellock FG, Fukunaga T, Mink JH, Edgerton VR. Acute effects of exercise on MR imaging of skeletal muscle: concentric vs eccentric actions. AJR Am J Roentgenol 1991; 156: 765-768
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Sloniger MA, Cureton KJ, Prior BM, Evans EM. Lower extremity muscle activation during horizontal and uphill running. J Appl Physiol 1997; 83: 2073-2079
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Taylor GH. Health by exercise. New York: American Book Exchange; 1880
    Google Scholar
  • 28 Tesch P. Muscle Meets Magnet. MRI Analysis of Muscle Use During Lifting. Mansfield, OH: BookMasters; In: Inc 1993
    Google Scholar
  • 29 Tesch PA. Target Bodybuilding. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics; 1999
    Google Scholar
  • 30 Tesch PA, Ekberg A, Lindquist DM, Trieschmann JT. Muscle hypertrophy following 5-week resistance training using a non-gravity-dependent exercise system. Acta Physiol Scand 2004; 180: 89-98
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Tous-Fajardo J, Gonzalo-Skok O, Arjol-Serrano JL, Tesch P. Change of direction speed in soccer players is enhanced by functional inertial eccentric overload and vibration training. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2015; [Epub ahead of print]
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Tous-Fajardo J, Maldonado RA, Quintana JM, Pozzo M, Tesch PA. The flywheel leg-curl machine: offering eccentric overload for hamstring development. Int J Sports Physiol Perform 2006; 1: 293-298
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 33 van der Horst N, Smits DW, Petersen J, Goedhart EA, Backx FJ. The preventive effect of the nordic hamstring exercise on hamstring injuries in amateur soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Sports Med 2015; 43: 1316-1323
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Verrall GM, Slavotinek JP, Barnes PG, Fon GT, Spriggins AJ. Clinical risk factors for hamstring muscle strain injury: a prospective study with correlation of injury by magnetic resonance imaging. Br J Sports Med 2001; 35: 435-439
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Woods C, Hawkins RD, Maltby S, Hulse M, Thomas A, Hodson A. Football Association Medical Research P. The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football – analysis of hamstring injuries. Br J Sports Med 2004; 38: 36-41
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar