Andrews Max H, Shield Anthony J, Lichtwark Glen A, Pincheira Patricio A
School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, 4072, Australia.
School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia.
Sports Med. 2025 Aug 26. doi: 10.1007/s40279-025-02291-6.
Hamstring injuries are a major concern in sports owing to their high incidence and recurrence rates, highlighting the need for a deeper understanding of their mechanisms and prevention. This narrative review aims to inform hamstring injury prevention strategies by examining: (1) the causes of hamstring injuries, (2) the effectiveness of eccentric training in reducing injury risk, and (3) muscle adaptations from eccentric training that may offer protective effects. Hamstring injuries often occur during the late swing phase of running, potentially due to insufficient or delayed neural activation or an inability to generate the necessary force to decelerate the leg and resist active overstretching. In this phase, the hamstrings must produce large eccentric forces while operating at long lengths, placing them in a vulnerable position. Despite the potential of eccentric training to induce muscle adaptations that may reduce injury risk, current research has overly focused on architectural changes, particularly resting fascicle lengthening, without adequately exploring how these adaptations influence the functional behavior of hamstrings during exercise. In addition, the lack of research into adaptations of non-contractile and neural elements in the hamstrings following eccentric training represents a significant gap in the literature. This review argues for a broader focus on these underexplored areas to enhance hamstring injury prevention strategies. Further research is essential to fully understand the mechanisms behind muscle fascicle lengthening after eccentric training. Exploring functional and regional differences in hamstring adaptations and delving deeper into non-contractile and neural elements could enhance injury prevention strategies, potentially reducing the incidence of hamstring injuries.
腘绳肌损伤因其高发病率和复发率而成为运动领域的一个主要问题，这凸显了深入了解其损伤机制和预防措施的必要性。本叙述性综述旨在通过研究以下内容为腘绳肌损伤预防策略提供信息：（1）腘绳肌损伤的原因，（2）离心训练在降低损伤风险方面的有效性，以及（3）离心训练引起的可能具有保护作用的肌肉适应性变化。腘绳肌损伤常发生在跑步的摆动后期，可能是由于神经激活不足或延迟，或者无法产生必要的力量来使腿部减速并抵抗主动过度伸展。在这个阶段，腘绳肌必须在较长长度下产生较大的离心力，使其处于易受伤的位置。尽管离心训练有可能诱导肌肉适应性变化从而降低损伤风险，但目前的研究过度关注结构变化，特别是静息肌束长度的增加，而没有充分探讨这些适应性变化如何影响运动过程中腘绳肌的功能行为。此外，关于离心训练后腘绳肌中非收缩性和神经成分适应性的研究不足，这在文献中是一个重大空白。本综述主张更广泛地关注这些未充分探索的领域，以加强腘绳肌损伤预防策略。进一步的研究对于全面理解离心训练后肌肉肌束延长背后的机制至关重要。探索腘绳肌适应性的功能和区域差异，并更深入地研究非收缩性和神经成分，可能会加强损伤预防策略， potentially reducing the incidence of hamstring injuries.（此处英文原句有语法错误，应改为“potentially reducing the incidence of hamstring injuries”，译文为“有可能降低腘绳肌损伤的发生率”） 从而有可能降低腘绳肌损伤的发生率。
