A comparison of acceleration and maximum speed sprint training on eccentric hamstring strength and hamstring muscle architecture

Abstract

Background: Hamstring strain injuries (HSI) are prevalent in field sports with a high-speed running component. It is widely believed that sprint training can have a HSI preventative effect due to the relatively high muscle activation. However, it is not known whether acceleration or maximum speed training is more effective for influencing HSI risk indicators such as eccentric strength or fascicle length. Therefore, the purpose was to investigate the differences between acceleration and maximum speed sprint training on eccentric hamstring strength and BFLH architecture.