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. 2021 Jan 28;7(1):10.
doi: 10.1186/s40798-021-00298-7.

Eccentric Strength Assessment of Hamstring Muscles with New Technologies: a Systematic Review of Current Methods and Clinical Implications

João Gustavo Claudino  1   2 , Carlos Alberto Cardoso Filho  3 , Natália Franco Netto Bittencourt  4   5 , Luiz Gilherme Gonçalves  6 , Crislaine Rangel Couto  7 , Roberto Chiari Quintão  8 , Guilherme Fialho Reis  8 , Otaviano de Oliveira Júnior  8 , Alberto Carlos Amadio  3 , Daniel Boullosa  9   10 , Júlio Cerca Serrão  3
Affiliations

Eccentric Strength Assessment of Hamstring Muscles with New Technologies: a Systematic Review of Current Methods and Clinical Implications

João Gustavo Claudino et al. Sports Med Open. .

Abstract

Background: Given the severe economic and performance implications of hamstring injuries, there are different attempts to identify their risk factors for subsequently developing injury prevention strategies to reduce the risk of these injuries. One of the strategies reported in the scientific literature is the application of interventions with eccentric exercises. To verify the effectiveness of these interventions, different eccentric strength measurements have been used with low-cost devices as alternatives to the widespread used isokinetic dynamometers and the technically limited handheld dynamometers. Therefore, the purpose of the present systematic review was to summarize the findings of the scientific literature related to the evaluation of eccentric strength of hamstring muscles with these new technologies.

Methods: Systematic searches through the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases, from inception up to April 2020, were conducted for peer reviewed articles written in English, reporting eccentric strength of hamstrings assessed by devices, different to isokinetic and handheld dynamometers, in athletes.

Results: Seventeen studies were finally included in the review with 4 different devices used and 18 parameters identified. The pooled sample consisted of 2893 participants (97% male and 3% female: 22 ± 4 years). The parameters most used were peak force (highest and average), peak torque (average and highest), and between-limb imbalance (left-to-right limb ratio). There is inconsistency regarding the association between eccentric hamstrings strength and both injury risk and athletic performance. There is no standardized definition or standardization of the calculation of the used parameters.

Conclusions: The current evidence is insufficient to recommend a practical guide for sports professionals to use these new technologies in their daily routine, due to the need for standardized definitions and calculations. Furthermore, more studies with female athletes are warranted. Despite these limitations, the eccentric strength of hamstring muscles assessed by different devices may be recommended for monitoring the neuromuscular status of athletes.

Keywords: Athletic performance; Flywheel; Knee flexors; Muscle injury; Neuromuscular status; NordBord; Screening; Strain.

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Conflict of interest statement

João Gustavo Claudino, Carlos Alberto Cardoso Filho, Natália Franco Netto Bittencourt, Luiz Guilherme Gonçalves, Crislaine Rangel Couto, Roberto Chiari Quintão, Guilherme Fialho Reis, Otaviano de Oliveira Júnior, Alberto Carlos Amadio, Daniel Boullosa, and Júlio Cerca Serrão declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this review.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study selection PRISMA flow diagram
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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