The latest muscle research clearly shows that static stretching can
decrease eccentric strength of a muscle for up to 4hrs post. It is eccentric
strength that an athlete needs to prevent hamstring injury. Most elite
sprinters do dynamic stretches ie exercises and a specific warmup.
Hamstring injuries I believe can be avoided by doing the following
1. Strengthening how the hamstrings-glute-back work together. eg swiss ball
on back-neck on ball lifting butt up and down from floor (progressing to
doing this on one leg)
2. Strengthening trunk so that the athlete can run with a better posture.
Upright not butt out. ie decrease anterior tilt of pelvis.
3. Athletes need to run with less action behind the body - do not swing
femur beyond the plane of the body. Run with dorsiflexed feet and not
overstride.
4. Never static stretch hamstrings before running fast.
5. Keep glutes from tightening up by massage and triggers on glutes.
Strengthen glutes so they do not tighten up easily.
regards
Steve Bennett
Head Coach Athletics
Western Sydney Academy of Sport
www.oztrack.com
