The Effect of 6 Week Hamstring Exercise Programs on Hamstring Muscle Function Performance in Female Athletes

NCT ID: NCT05733273

Last Updated: 2025-05-22

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 47 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-02-15
• Study Completion Date: 2023-05-12

Brief Summary

This study aims to compare the effect of two hamstring strengthening programs on hamstring muscle strength in female university athletes. 60 participants will be recruited for this study. They will be randomly assigned to one of two 6-week hamstring strengthening programs, namely the single leg bridge exercise and the Nordic hamstring exercise protocol, and one control group. Eccentric and isometric hamstring strength, gluteal strength and will sprint speed will be measured before and after the intervention.

Detailed Description

Participants will be recruited from the local university sports clubs. Club chairpersons will be asked to send an email to club players. Players interested in participating in the study will be asked to attend a meeting where the study will be explained to them. Those who were interested will then be assessed for inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Group allocation:

A four block randomization method will be used to allocate participants to the Nordic hamstring exercise protocol or the single leg bridge protocol.

Interventions:

The Nordic hamstring exercise program or the single leg bridge program.

Testing procedure:

The eccentric strength of the participants' hamstrings and hip extensors will be recorded before and after the exercise intervention.

30 metre sprint performance will be recorded before and after the intervention. A 10 point visual analogue scale will be used to record the level of muscle soreness experienced after each training session.

Conditions

Hamstring Injury

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Nordic Hamstring exercise program

Participants are required to kneel on a gym mat keeping their hips in a slightly flexed position and to slowly lower themselves in a controlled manner as far as they could towards the ground. When they can no longer lower themselves as such, they are instructed to utilise their arms to buffer the fall and touch their chest off the ground, while maintaining tension in their hamstrings. Once their chest touches the ground they are instructed to immediately return to the starting position by pushing up with their hands

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Nordic hamstring exercise program

Intervention Type: OTHER

Week 1 - 1 session per week consisting of 2 sets of 5 reps of the exercise Week 2 - 2 sessions per week consisting of 2 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 3 -3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 4 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps of the exercise Weeks 5 and 6 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of the exercise. Set 1 with 12 reps, set 2 with 10 reps and set 3 with 8 reps

Single leg hamstring bridge exercise program

The single-leg hamstring bridge is performed with the athlete lying on the ground with one heel supported by their partner, the hip in approximately 45° and the knee in approximately 20° of flexion. The participants cross their arms across the chest and push down through the heel to lift their buttocks off the ground. The participant should allow their buttocks to touch the ground momentarily and then the hip should be extended to 0°.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Single leg bridge exercise program

Intervention Type: OTHER

Week 1 - 1 session per week consisting of 2 sets of 5 reps of the exercise Week 2 - 2 sessions per week consisting of 2 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 3 -3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 4 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps of the exercise Weeks 5 and 6 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of the exercise. Set 1 with 12 reps, set 2 with 10 reps and set 3 with 8 reps

Razor curl

Participants are required to kneel on a gym mat and flex their hips and knees to approximately 90 degrees. They then allow their body to descend towards the ground by extending at the knees and hip simultaneously. When they can no longer lower themselves as such, they are instructed to utilise their arms to buffer the fall and touch their chest off the ground, while maintaining tension in their hamstrings. Once their chest touches the ground they are instructed to immediately return to the starting position by pushing up with their hands

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Hamstring razor curl

Intervention Type: OTHER

Week 1 - 1 session per week consisting of 2 sets of 5 reps of the exercise Week 2 - 2 sessions per week consisting of 2 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 3 -3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 4 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps of the exercise Weeks 5 and 6 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of the exercise. Set 1 with 12 reps, set 2 with 10 reps and set 3 with 8 reps

Interventions

Nordic hamstring exercise program

Week 1 - 1 session per week consisting of 2 sets of 5 reps of the exercise Week 2 - 2 sessions per week consisting of 2 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 3 -3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 4 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps of the exercise Weeks 5 and 6 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of the exercise. Set 1 with 12 reps, set 2 with 10 reps and set 3 with 8 reps

Intervention Type: OTHER

Single leg bridge exercise program

Week 1 - 1 session per week consisting of 2 sets of 5 reps of the exercise Week 2 - 2 sessions per week consisting of 2 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 3 -3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 4 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps of the exercise Weeks 5 and 6 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of the exercise. Set 1 with 12 reps, set 2 with 10 reps and set 3 with 8 reps

Intervention Type: OTHER

Hamstring razor curl

Week 1 - 1 session per week consisting of 2 sets of 5 reps of the exercise Week 2 - 2 sessions per week consisting of 2 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 3 -3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 6 reps of the exercise Week 4 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of 8 reps of the exercise Weeks 5 and 6 - 3 sessions per week consisting of 3 sets of the exercise. Set 1 with 12 reps, set 2 with 10 reps and set 3 with 8 reps

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• female
• university athlete competing in team sports at least three times per week
• free from hamstring injury in previous 6 months

Exclusion Criteria

• history of a hip or knee injury in the 3 months prior to the study
• a history of anterior cruciate ligament rupture
• a history of involvement in a hamstring strengthening, injury prevention programme in the 3 months prior to the study

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 35 Years
• Eligible Sex: FEMALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Dublin City University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Enda Whyte

Assistant professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Enda Whyte, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Dublin City University

Locations

Dublin City University

Dublin, , Ireland

Countries

Ireland

Other Identifiers

2022_ATT_EW_15

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id