No relationship between the nordic hamstring and two different isometric strength tests to assess hamstring muscle strength in professional soccer players

Assessment of Strength and Power Capacities in Elite Male Soccer: A Systematic Review of Test Protocols Used in Practice and Research

BACKGROUND

Strength and power represent two crucial physical qualities for the attainment of a high level of performance considering the frequency and the importance of explosive actions occurring during elite soccer match-play. Evaluation of strength and power is a multifaceted concept involving a vast array of tests and outcome variables. Nevertheless, a comprehensive and systematic search of strength and power assessment procedures in elite soccer has yet to be undertaken.

OBJECTIVES

The aims of this systematic review were to: (1) identify the tests and outcome variables used to assess strength and power of elite male soccer players; (2) provide normative values for the most common tests of strength and power across different playing levels; and (3) report the reliability values of these strength and power tests.

METHODS

A systematic review of the academic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science and OVID for studies published until August 2023 was conducted, following the Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they: (1) were original research studies, published in a peer-reviewed journal, and written in English language; (2) had the primary aim to assess strength and/or power; (3) players were male and older than 17 years of age (i.e., mean age of the group); and (4) their playing level was defined as "professional", "international" or "elite".

RESULTS

Regarding strength testing, 115 studies and 29 different tests were identified. The three most frequent strength tests were the knee extensor isokinetic strength test (58 studies), the knee flexor isokinetic strength test (55 studies) and the Nordic hamstring strength test (13 studies). In terms of power testing, 127 studies with 31 different tests were included. The three most frequent power tests were the countermovement jump with hands fixed on hips (99 studies), the squat jump (48 studies) and the vertical jump with arm swing (29 studies).

CONCLUSIONS

The wide range of different tests and outcome variables identified in this systematic review highlights the large diversity in the employed testing procedures. The establishment of a hybrid testing approach, combining standardised and widely accepted tests for establishing normative standards and enabling comparisons across different contexts, with flexible context-specific testing batteries, has the potential to maximise the impact of testing information for practitioners. In addition, the limited reporting of reliability data across studies highlights the need for practitioners to establish their own reliability measure within their specific contexts, informing the selection of certain tests and outcome variables.

Rapid force generation during unilateral isometric hamstring assessment: reliability and relationship to maximal force

Limited research has reported the reliability of rapid force generation characteristics during isometric assessments of the hamstrings. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the between-session reliability of rapid force generating characteristics of the hamstrings and relationship to maximal force production. Twenty-three female soccer players (age: 20.7 ± 4.7 years; height: 168.7 ± 5.9 cm; body mass: 64.4 ± 6.7 kg) performed three unilateral trials of the 90-90 isometric hamstring assessment, on two separate occasions, separated by 7 days. Peak force, force at 100- and 200 ms and average rate of force development (aRFD) over 100- and 200 ms epochs were calculated. Absolute and fair-good reliability was observed for peak force and all rapid force generating measures (<8.33CV%, ICC >0.610). Significant and meaningful relationships (p < 0.001, r > 0.802) were observed for all rapid force generating measures and peak force. The 90-90 isometric assessment can be used to assess peak and rapid force generating reliably to enable practitioners to confidently track changes in performance over time as part of fatigue monitoring and management.

The Effect of Ankle Position on Peak Eccentric Force during The Nordic Hamstring Exercise

Peak eccentric force during the Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is recognized as a predictive factor for hamstring strain injury (HSI). During the NHE, the knee flexor muscles are eccentrically contracting to resist the knee joint extension. Therefore, it is thought that the action of the gastrocnemius muscle, and thus the ankle position, influences peak eccentric force during the NHE. However, the effect of ankle position on peak eccentric force during the NHE remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effect of ankle position on peak eccentric force during the NHE in a cohort of 50 healthy young male rugby players (mean age, 18.7 ± 1.2 years; mean body mass, 81.7 ± 15.2 kg; height, 1.72 ± 0.06 m) with no history of HSI. Each participant performed NHE strength testing with the ankle dorsiflexed or plantarflexed position and was instructed to fall forward as far as possible within 3 s. Peak eccentric force, reported relative to body mass (N/kg), of both legs was recorded, and the mean values of both legs were compared in both ankle positions. The mean peak eccentric force was significantly greater with the ankle plantarflexed position than the dorsiflexed position (3.8 ± 1.1 vs. 3.5 ± 1.1 N/kg, respectively, p = 0.049). These results indicate that ankle position should be carefully considered when measuring peak eccentric force during the NHE and performing NHE training.

Relationship between Nordic hamstring strength and maximal voluntary eccentric, concentric and isometric knee flexion torque

Nordic hamstring exercise is performed to prevent knee flexor muscle strain injuries and used to assess their injury risks. However, what exactly Nordic hamstring strength indicates is not clear. We investigated the relationship between Nordic hamstring strength and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) torque of the knee flexors measured by an isokinetic dynamometer. Sixteen healthy young men who had not experienced hamstring strain injuries participated in the study. In Nordic hamstring, each participant was instructed to lean forward as far as possible in 3 s (approximately 30°/s), and force at the ankle joint of the dominant leg was measured during the movement. The force was multiplied by lower leg length and converted into torque. MVC torque of the knee flexors was measured isometrically at 30°, 45°, 60°, and 90° knee flexion joint angles, and concentrically and eccentrically at 30°/s and 60°/s in 10°–90° knee flexion for the dominant leg in a prone position. Correlations among the dependent variables were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficients. Peak Nordic hamstring torque ranged 96.8–163.5 Nm, and peak MVC eccentric torque ranged 50.7–109.4 Nm at 30°/s and 59.2–121.2 Nm at 60°/s. No significant correlations were evident between the peak Nordic hamstring torque and peak eccentric knee flexion torque (r = 0.24–0.3, p = 0.26–0.4). This was also the case for the Nordic hamstring torque and MVC torque of isometric (r = −0.03–0.1, p = 0.71–0.92) and concentric contractions (r = 0.28–0.49, p = 0.053–0.29). These results show that Nordic hamstring strength is not associated with the knee flexor torque measured by an isokinetic dynamometer. It may be that other factors than static and dynamic hamstring strengths affect Nordic hamstring strength.