The effects of neuromuscular training on knee joint motor control during sidecutting in female elite soccer and handball players

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effects of neuromuscular training on knee joint motor control during sidecutting in female elite soccer and handball players

AU - Zebis, Mette K

AU - Bencke, Jesper

AU - Andersen, Lars

AU - Døssing, Simon

AU - Alkjaer , T

AU - Magnusson, S Peter

AU - Kjaer, Michael

AU - Aagaard, Per

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - OBJECTIVE: The project aimed to implement neuromuscular training during a full soccer and handball league season and to experimentally analyze the neuromuscular adaptation mechanisms elicited by this training during a standardized sidecutting maneuver known to be associated with non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. DESIGN: The players were tested before and after 1 season without implementation of the prophylactic training and subsequently before and after a full season with the implementation of prophylactic training. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 12 female elite soccer players and 8 female elite team handball players aged 26 +/- 3 years at the start of the study. INTERVENTION: The subjects participated in a specific neuromuscular training program previously shown to reduce non-contact ACL injury. METHODS: Neuromuscular activity at the knee joint, joint angles at the hip and knee, and ground reaction forces were recorded during a sidecutting maneuver. Neuromuscular activity in the prelanding phase was obtained 10 and 50 ms before foot strike on a force plate and at 10 and 50 ms after foot strike on a force plate. RESULTS: Neuromuscular training markedly increased before activity and landing activity electromyography (EMG) of the semitendinosus (P < 0.05), while quadriceps EMG activity remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Neuromuscular training increased EMG activity for the medial hamstring muscles, thereby decreasing the risk of dynamic valgus. This observed neuromuscular adaptation during sidecutting could potentially reduce the risk for non-contact ACL injury.

AB - OBJECTIVE: The project aimed to implement neuromuscular training during a full soccer and handball league season and to experimentally analyze the neuromuscular adaptation mechanisms elicited by this training during a standardized sidecutting maneuver known to be associated with non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. DESIGN: The players were tested before and after 1 season without implementation of the prophylactic training and subsequently before and after a full season with the implementation of prophylactic training. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 12 female elite soccer players and 8 female elite team handball players aged 26 +/- 3 years at the start of the study. INTERVENTION: The subjects participated in a specific neuromuscular training program previously shown to reduce non-contact ACL injury. METHODS: Neuromuscular activity at the knee joint, joint angles at the hip and knee, and ground reaction forces were recorded during a sidecutting maneuver. Neuromuscular activity in the prelanding phase was obtained 10 and 50 ms before foot strike on a force plate and at 10 and 50 ms after foot strike on a force plate. RESULTS: Neuromuscular training markedly increased before activity and landing activity electromyography (EMG) of the semitendinosus (P < 0.05), while quadriceps EMG activity remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: Neuromuscular training increased EMG activity for the medial hamstring muscles, thereby decreasing the risk of dynamic valgus. This observed neuromuscular adaptation during sidecutting could potentially reduce the risk for non-contact ACL injury.

KW - Adult

KW - Anterior Cruciate Ligament

KW - Athletic Injuries

KW - Biomechanics

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Electromyography

KW - Female

KW - Hip Joint

KW - Humans

KW - Knee Joint

KW - Muscle, Skeletal

KW - Physical Education and Training

KW - Range of Motion, Articular

KW - Soccer

KW - Sports

U2 - 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31817f3e35

DO - 10.1097/JSM.0b013e31817f3e35

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 18614884

SN - 1050-642X

VL - 18

SP - 329

EP - 337

JO - Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine

JF - Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine

IS - 4

ER -