Preventing Non-Contact Hamstring Injuries in Elite Footballers: Eccentric vs Concentric Training

Summary

Football is a sport with a high risk of injury, and hamstring muscle injuries are among the most common problems faced by players. These injuries can reduce a player's performance, cause time away from training and matches, and place a burden on medical teams and clubs. Many training programs recommend eccentric hamstring exercises to prevent these injuries, but there is limited evidence comparing eccentric exercises with concentric exercises or a combination of both, especially in elite male football players.

The purpose of this study is to compare the long-term effects of three different hamstring strengthening programs-eccentric training, concentric training, and a combination of both-on preventing non-contact hamstring injuries in elite male footballers. Each training program will last for three months, and the players will be followed for a total period of 12 months. The study will look at how these programs affect hamstring injury prevention, muscle strength and performance, flexibility, recurrence of injuries, and players' psychological satisfaction.

The study is based on the following expectations:

A three-month eccentric hamstring strengthening program will lead to long-term improvements in reducing hamstring injuries, improving muscle performance and flexibility, lowering injury recurrence, and increasing psychological satisfaction over a 12-month period.

A three-month concentric hamstring strengthening program will also result in long-term improvements in injury prevention, muscle performance, flexibility, injury recurrence, and psychological satisfaction.

A combined program of eccentric and concentric hamstring strengthening over three months will produce significant long-term benefits in injury prevention, muscle performance, flexibility, injury recurrence, and psychological satisfaction.

There will be clear differences in outcomes between the eccentric, concentric, combined, and control groups over the 12-month follow-up period.

Participants will be divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D) based on the type of training they receive. The study will include young male professional football players aged 18 to 30 years from the UAE who are citizens or permanent residents. All participants must speak English, have at least one year of football playing experience, and must not have had any hamstring injury in the past six months. Players who are interested in participating and provide written informed consent will be included.

Players will be excluded if they have had a hamstring injury in the last six months, are female, are under 18 or over 30 years old, have restrictions in knee movement, have undergone previous hamstring surgery, are currently enrolled in another official rehabilitation program, or do not agree to participate in the study.

Group A participants will perform eccentric hamstring exercises, including Nordic hamstring curls, dumbbell stiff-leg deadlifts, and barbell Romanian deadlifts. Group B participants will perform concentric hamstring exercises such as seated leg curls, lying leg curls, and prone hamstring curls using resistance bands. Group C participants will perform a combination of both eccentric and concentric hamstring exercises. Group D participants will continue with their usual football training only and will not perform any additional hamstring-specific exercises.

Before each training session, all participants in Groups A, B, and C will complete a 10-minute warm-up, consisting of five minutes of cycling, three minutes of stretching, and two minutes of rope jumping. Each training session will last at least 30 minutes. The exercise groups will complete three additional training sessions per week alongside their regular football training for a total of 12 weeks.

The results of this study will help determine which type of hamstring training program is most effective in preventing non-contact hamstring injuries and improving physical and psychological outcomes in elite male football players.

Conditions

• Long-Term Eccentric, Concentric & Combined Hamstring Training Improves Strength, May Cut Injury Risk, and Enhances Performance in Elite Male Football Players

Interventions

OTHER

Eccentric training + regular football practice

Eccentric Training Barbell Romanian Deadlift: Stand hip-width apart with a slight knee bend. Hold the barbell shoulder-width apart, keep the spine neutral, and hinge at the hips to lower the barbell toward the shins. Engage the core, hamstrings, and glutes to return to standing. 3 sets × 10-12 reps. Nordic Hamstring Curl: Kneel with feet secured. Maintain a straight line from shoulders to knees and slowly lower the body under hamstring control. Use hands for support if needed and assist returning to start. 3 sets × 10-12 reps. Dumbbell Stiff-Leg Deadlift: Hold 10 kg dumbbells at the sides with minimal knee bend. Hinge at the hips, lowering the weights until a hamstring stretch is felt. Engage hamstrings and glutes to stand upright. 3 sets × 10-12 reps. Along with regular football training.

OTHER

Concentric training + regular football practice

Concentric Training Seated Leg Curl: Sit on the leg curl machine with feet shoulder-width apart and knees aligned with the machine hinge. Place the pad on the lower calf, engage the core, and keep the spine neutral. Pull the toes upward and curl the heels toward the glutes without arching the lower back. Slowly return to the starting position. 3 sets × 10-12 reps. Lying Leg Curl: Lie prone on the machine with feet hip-width apart and knees aligned with the hinge. Keep the core and glutes engaged, head neutral, and shoulder blades retracted. Curl the heels toward the glutes without lifting the hips or arching the back, then return slowly. 3 sets × 10-12 reps. Prone Hamstring Curl with Resistance Band: Lie prone with one end of a resistance band secured and the other around the ankle. Start with the knee extended and bend the knee against resistance, then return slowly. 3 sets × 10-12 reps. Along with regular football training.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lincoln University College Malaysia

  collaborator OTHER

• Emirates Health Services (EHS)

  lead OTHER_GOV

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

30 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-07

Primary Completion

2027-02-07

Completion

2027-04-23

Countries

• United Arab Emirates

Study Locations