Nordic Hamstring and Repeated-sprint Ability in Football (Soccer) Players

NCT02674919 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NHE-2016-LI
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 35
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of the study is to investigate the efficacy of a 10-week intervention, using the Nordic Hamstring exercise, on repeated-sprint ability in male sub-elite football players. The primary outcome measure is total sprint time during 4x6 sprint of 10 meters measured using dual-beam photoelectric cells. Additionally, eccentric knee flexor strength is measured using the Nordbord hamstring strength measure. The hypothesis is that strength training of the knee flexor muscles elicited by the Nordic Hamstring exercise will result in enhanced repetitive sprint-ability expressed as a decrease in total sprint time. Furthermore, baseline data is used to assess to correlation between eccentric hamstring strength and active hamstring flexibility AND sprint performance.

Conditions

Repeated-sprint Ability

Keywords

Repeated-sprint ability; Nordic Hamstring exercise; Eccentric hamstring muscle strength

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Total sprint time measured during 4x6 sprints of 10 meters. The sprints are performed every 15s and the sets are separated by 3 minutes of rest.

  Measured prior to and after the intervention period (at week 0 & 10)

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Single sprint times (best sprint time, sprint time during last sprint).

  Measured prior to and after the intervention period (at week 0 & 10)

• Maximal eccentric knee flexor strength measured using Nordbord device

  Measured prior to and after the intervention period (at week 0 & 10)

• Eccentric knee flexor strength endurance measured during 12 repetitions of the Nordic Hamstring exercise using Nordbord device.

  Measured prior to and after the intervention period (at week 0 & 10)

• Active range of motion of hamstring muscles measured using inclinometer.

  Measured prior to and after the intervention period (at week 0 & 10)

• Correlation between eccentric hamstring strength and active hamstring flexibility AND sprint performance.

  Measured prior to the intervention (at week 0)

Study Arms (2)

Nordic Hamstring

EXPERIMENTAL

The Nordic Hamstring group performs a progressive strengthening program (Mjolsnes et al., 2004) comprising of the Nordic Hamstring exercise during a period of 10 weeks. The training load increases from one session per week in week 1 to 3 sessions per week in week 3-10. Number of sets and repetitions progressively increase from 2 to 3 and 5 to 12, respectively. The exercise program is performed in the end of a regular football training session.

Other: Nordic Hamstring

Control

OTHER

The control group are asked not to perform the exercise or any other specific strength training for the hamstring muscles and to continue to play football as usual.

Other: Control

Interventions

Nordic Hamstring OTHER

Also known as: Hamstring lowers, Nordic lowers, Hamstring Curl

Nordic Hamstring

Control OTHER

Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 17 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Sub-elite Danish football player
• Age 17-35.
• Able to participate fully in competitive football activities at the time of testing

You may not qualify if:

• Hamstring pain resulting in loss of training and matches 2 months prior to study initiation.
• Specific systematic strength training of the hamstring muscles (\>1/week) in the preceding 2 months before study initiation.
• Specific systematic sprint training (\>1/week) in the preceding 2 months before study initiation.
• Longstanding injury (\>6 weeks) in the lower extremities in the preceding 6 months to study initiation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hvidovre University Hospital: lead
• University of Southern Denmark: collaborator
• Aspetar: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Both the intervention and testing included in protocol will be conducted in the facilities of the included football clubs in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Mjolsnes R, Arnason A, Osthagen T, Raastad T, Bahr R. A 10-week randomized trial comparing eccentric vs. concentric hamstring strength training in well-trained soccer players. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2004 Oct;14(5):311-7. doi: 10.1046/j.1600-0838.2003.367.x.

  PMID: 15387805 BACKGROUND

• Ishoi L, Holmich P, Aagaard P, Thorborg K, Bandholm T, Serner A. Effects of the Nordic Hamstring exercise on sprint capacity in male football players: a randomized controlled trial. J Sports Sci. 2018 Jul;36(14):1663-1672. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2017.1409609. Epub 2017 Dec 1.

  PMID: 29192837 DERIVED

Study Officials

• Lasse Ishøi

  Hvidovre University Hospital. University of Southern Denmark

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Per Hölmich

  Hvidovre University Hospital. Aspetar

  STUDY CHAIR

• Per Aagaard

  University of Southern Denmark

  STUDY CHAIR

• Kristian Thorborg

  Hvidovre University Hospital

  STUDY CHAIR

• Thomas Bandholm

  Hvidovre University Hospital

  STUDY CHAIR

• Andreas Serner

  Hvidovre University Hospital. Aspetar

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: PT

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 2, 2016
• First Posted: February 5, 2016
• Study Start: February 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2016
• Study Completion: June 1, 2016
• Last Updated: June 14, 2018

Record last verified: 2018-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Time Frame: Data are available indefinitely at https://www.dropbox.com/s/8g2hve95csz42zp/IPD.xlsx?dl=0
• Access Criteria: No access criteria.

Locations

DK (1)