Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center

Intoduction

Hamstrings strains (muscle injuries to the posterior thigh) account for about 20% of all injuries in football, and can even be career-ending.

The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center has started a number of research projects aiming to prevent this injury type, where all the teams in the Tippeliga - the Norwegian Premier League - participate.

Hamstrings strains is the most common injury type in Norwegian football. © Tommy Bolic & Gazette bok. From the book Idrettsskader (http://idrettsskader.gazette.no/)

Some results from these projects will be presented in a press conference April 3 at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education. Preliminary results suggest that up to 80% of all hamstrings strains may be prevented using a newly developed strength training program based on a simple eccentric strength exercise.

The projects were started two years ago and involve - in addition to the Norwegian clubs - most clubs in the two top divisions in Iceland. The project managers are Thor Einar Andersen, responsible for the follow-up of the Norwegian clubs, and Arni Arnason, who has been responsible for the Icelandic clubs. Both of them are PhD-students at the Oslo Sports Trauma research Center.

Players and coaches of Stabæk IF will represent the Tippeliga clubs in the press conference. Players from Stabæk IF have participated in a special project where the strength changes after 10 weeks of pre-season training have been measured and compared with regular concentric hamstrings strength training. The project manager for this project is Roald Mjølsnes, who is a Master student at the Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education.

Read more about how to prevent hamstrings strains here.