Dispelling myths, "Conditioned athletes don't get injured"

"Conditioned Athletes Do Not Get Injured"

"I'm not going to be running for a little while"

🥇World Record Attempt: Keely Hodgkinson said she knew “it wasn’t good” the moment she tore her hamstring during her final training session before attempting to break a 23 year old WR on Saturday in Birmingham.
(Sky Sports)

Insights from James Moore presentation, and a few of mine.
Addressing common misconceptions in sports med practice & rehab.

Hamstring Injury Prevention
Dispelling some myths Load management vs. Strength vs. Function
Swedish FA, Stockholm, January 2018
Scroll down for the download PDF Handout.

Myth 1: "Perfect Conditioning Eliminates Injury Risk"
Reality: Even athletes with strength, balance, and conditioning sustain hamstring injuries due to sport biomechanical / demands.

Moore emphasises that hamstring injuries primarily occur during high-speed running (70% involving the proximal biceps femoris) or rapid lengthening movements (e.g., high kicks), where forces exceed 300% of body weight.

In Keely's case, a few strides post training.

Moore Hamstring Rehab: Mastering Lower Limb Injuries
2020 video case study speaks about a similar scenario with Tyson Gay.

This full presentation on my YouTube Channel, see comments for links.

1️⃣ Tyson Gay, at the 2008 Olympic Trials, ran a wind-assisted 9.68 seconds in the 100m. Days later, he suffered a severe hamstring injury in the 200m trials.

1️⃣ A similar scenario for Keely Hodgkinson, in world record form, then suffers a moderate hamstring injury. Grade 3 in Keely's case.

1️⃣ Bukayo Saka, Midfielder at Arsenal FC, another example.

"Strength training alone prevents recurrence"
While concentric strength is important, research demonstrates that eccentric strength deficits & tendon compliance play greater roles in injury risk than maximal strength metrics.

Eccentric capacity > maximal strength
Moore's study found hamstring injury risk correlates more strongly with eccentric strength deficits (particularly at longer muscle lengths - i.e. Strides / touch down) than absolute strength levels.

Complex Anatomy: As keely alludes to (near the tendon, sitting on a nerve). The anatomy of the hamstrings, with overlapping tendons & structural interrelations, contributes to the complexity of these injuries.

Tendon compliance matters
Athletes with greater tendon stiffness showed 3.2x higher reinjury rates, regardless of strength metrics. Tendons act as energy buffers during
high-speed running.

Neuromuscular timing - Brain to Muscle 🧠💪🏻🦵🏻
Injury recurrence linked more to delayed biceps femoris activation
(14-22ms lag) during terminal swing phase than pure strength parameters.

Coaching elite 100m/200m sprinters has taught me that when athletes are in peak condition and finely tuned, even the smallest disruption can have a significant impact, much like a ripple across a still lake.

📌 Athlete Continuous Risk Management
All athletes should be considered at risk, however signs of dysfunction may not be present or obvious.