Does a recent hamstring muscle injury affect the timing of muscle activation during high speed overground running in professional Australian Football players?

Abstract

ObjectivesTo investigate if the temporal characteristics of hamstring and gluteal muscle activation are altered during high speed overground running in professional Australian Football players following hamstring muscle injury. DesignCohort study. SettingField-based testing. ParticipantsElite professional Australian Football players who had sustained a hamstring muscle injury in the six months prior to testing (n = 7) and a group of players from the same club who had no history of hamstring muscle injury (n = 8). Main outcome measuresMuscle onset timing, muscle offset timing and muscle onset duration of the medial hamstrings, biceps femoris and gluteus maximus muscles during high-speed running using electromyographic data. ResultsNo significant differences in any of the temporal aspects of muscle activation were found between groups for any of the muscles tested (p > 0.05). ConclusionsPersistent alterations to the timing of muscle activation following hamstring muscle injury that have been reported in recreational athletes were not observed during high speed running in professional athletes who have completed comprehensive rehabilitation programs.