Effects of a Football Simulated Exercise on Injury Risk Factors for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury in Amateur Female Players

Females are more at risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries than males; however, there is limited literature on neuromuscular risk factors such as angle-specific hamstring/quadriceps functional strength ratios (H<sub>ecc</sub>/Q<sub>con</sub>) and rate of torque dev...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Harriet Ferguson, Jessica Piquet, Monèm Jemni, Anne Delextrat
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2023-01-01
Series:Biology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/12/1/124
Description
Summary:Females are more at risk of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries than males; however, there is limited literature on neuromuscular risk factors such as angle-specific hamstring/quadriceps functional strength ratios (H<sub>ecc</sub>/Q<sub>con</sub>) and rate of torque development (RTD) in female footballers. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fatigue on these neuromuscular risk factors. Thirty-three amateur players (20.3 ± 2.0 years old, 1.67 ± 9.31 m, 63.4 ±8.1 kg, 23.6 ± 5.7% body fat) performed strength assessments of the quadriceps (concentrically, Q<sub>con</sub>) and hamstrings (eccentrically, H<sub>ecc</sub>) on both legs on an isokinetic dynamometer, before and immediately after a football-specific exercise. Results showed significantly lower peak H<sub>ecc</sub> (−15.1 to −15.5%), peak H<sub>ecc</sub>/Q<sub>con</sub> (−8.8 to −12.9%) and RTD (−14.0 to −17.0%) for hamstring eccentric contractions after fatigue in the dominant and non-dominant legs. Furthermore, significant decreases in H<sub>ecc</sub>/Q<sub>con</sub> were observed at 10° only in the dominant leg (−15.5%), and at 10°, 20° and 30° in the non-dominant leg (−15.1 to −21.8%). These results suggest a reduced capacity of the hamstrings to stabilise the knee joint with fatigue. Unlike results previously shown on men, the non-dominant leg seemed more affected, highlighting the need to consider specific prevention measures in females.
ISSN:2079-7737