Tips to avoid hamstring injuries

Hamstring injuries are common among athletes who play sports that require powerful accelerations, decelerations or lots of running. The hamstring muscles run down the back of the leg from the pelvis to the bones of the lower leg. The three specific muscles that make up the hamstrings are the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. Together these powerful knee flexors are known as the hamstring muscle group. An injury to any of these muscles can range from minor strains, a pulled muscle or even a total rupture of the muscle.

Some common causes of hamstring injuries

Hamstring pulls or strains often occur during an eccentric contraction of the hamstring muscle group as an athlete is running. Just before the foot hits the ground, the hamstrings will contract to slow the forward motion of the lower leg (tibia and foot). Some of the factors which may contribute to a hamstring injury include:

• Doing too much, too soon or pushing beyond your limits
• Tight hip flexors
• Weak glutes (butt muscles)
• Poor flexibility
• Poor muscle strength
• Muscle imbalance between the quadriceps and hamstring muscle groups
• Muscle fatigue that leads to over-exertion
• Improper or no warm-up
• History of hamstring injury

3 Top Tips on how to avoid Injury

1) Have a proper warm up and cooldown. This must include a light jog to get the blood flowing and lots of dynamic stretches and full range of motion movements slowly building into bigger strides and some changing of direction running. Light changes of pace are also ideal.
The cooldown should be a light jog turning it into a walk followed by static stretches, pushing deeper with the stretch each time you alternate legs.

2) Having structural imbalances. Charles Poliquin's research into hamstring injury points out that if you are able to front squat 85% of your back squat, then you have a structural imbalance and your quads are overpowering your hamstrings. This is however, comparing squats with an ass to grass technique.

3) Focus on Flexibility:  Focus the bulk of your  flexibility work on the hip flexors.  Initiating every flexibility session with a good hip flexor stretch will not only help you emphasize the importance of the hip flexors to your athletes, but will reset the pelvis in a more neutral position prior to performing other stretches.