Key result
Most hamstring injuries occurred when the mean acute:chronic workload ratio of high-speed running in the week prior to injury (0.90) was below the squad seasonal average (1.04).
Why the study?
Hamstring strain injuries are common in professional footballers and high-speed running increases injury risk, but the acute: chronic workload ratio preceding these injuries required assessment.
Does the acute:chronic workload ratio of high-speed running predict hamstring injuries in professional footballers?
Observational (n=18)
No
Does the acute:chronic workload ratio of high-speed running predict hamstring injuries in professional footballers?
Absolute Event Rate: 0.9% vs 1.04%
In professional footballers, most hamstring injuries occurred when the acute:chronic workload ratio of high-speed running was below the squad average, often following a pattern of moderate-to-high load followed by low-to-moderate load.
Injuries occurred below average ACWR; leaves open whether high-speed running ACWR predicts hamstring injury in professional footballers.
Hamstring strain injuries are common within professional footballers with high-speed running (HSR) being known to increase the likelihood of sustaining a hamstring injury. This study aimed to assess the acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) of HSR that preceded hamstring injuries in professional footballers. Global positioning system (GPS)-derived HSR distances and weekly ACWR were obtained from 18 footballers from one English Football League (EFL) club during the 2018-2019 season. Hamstring injuries were documented by the club’s medical team and the ACWR data of the four weeks preceding each hamstring injury were analysed. The mean ACWR of injured players was calculated for each season along with the ACWR of the squad. Ten hamstring injuries were recorded in total, across eight of the 18 players (44%). The most common site of injury was the medial part of the hamstring (70%). At the time of injury the mean ACWR for injured players was 0.90, while the squad mean ACWR for the season was 1.04. In conclusion, this study evidenced a high prevalence of non-contact hamstring injuries over a competitive season within an EFL club. The majority of hamstring injuries occurred when the mean ACWR was below the squad mean ACWR for the season. The loading pattern of ‘moderate to high’ followed by ‘low to moderate’ ACWR was commonly observed in the four weeks prior to injury.
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Thomas Gee (2022) conducted an observational in Hamstring injuries (n=18). Acute: chronic workload ratio (ACWR) of high-speed running vs. Squad mean ACWR was evaluated on Mean ACWR of high-speed running in the week prior to hamstring injury. Most hamstring injuries occurred when the mean acute:chronic workload ratio of high-speed running in the week prior to injury (0.90) was below the squad seasonal average (1.04).
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