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

Mette K Zebis, Jesper Bencke, Lars Andersen, Simon Døssing, T Alkjaer , S Peter Magnusson, Michael Kjaer, Per Aagaard

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135 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.
Original languageEnglish
JournalClinical Journal of Sports Medicine
Volume18
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)329-37
Number of pages9
ISSN1050-642X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2008

Keywords

  • Adult
  • Anterior Cruciate Ligament
  • Athletic Injuries
  • Biomechanics
  • Cohort Studies
  • Electromyography
  • Female
  • Hip Joint
  • Humans
  • Knee Joint
  • Muscle, Skeletal
  • Physical Education and Training
  • Range of Motion, Articular
  • Soccer
  • Sports

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