Pafis, G.1*, Daskalaki, K.1, Ιspirlidis, M.1, Ispirlidis, I.1, Malliou, V. J.2
1Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, School of Physical Education, Sport Science and Occupational Therapy, Democritus University of Thrace, Greece
2Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
*Contact Corresponding Author: 
Abstract
Professional footballers sustain an increased risk of muscular injuries, with hamstring strains (HS) being the most frequent amongst them. Data from a prospective study from 2001 to 2022 in professional men footballers indicated that HS constituted 19% of all injuries, while 18% among them were recurrences. Despite advancements in understanding risk factors and injury mechanisms, there remains a significant gap in research focusing on the prevention of HS in elite footballers. This study aimed to record the HS that occurred in a football team of the Greek Super League 1 over the course of three years and investigate if a strengthening program led to a reduction of HS and their recurrences. During all three years, the whole squad performed the same warm-up. Additionally, in the second and third years a muscle strengthening program was followed by players with muscular imbalances, which included isokinetic, concentric and eccentric exercises. According to our results, 36 muscle strains occurred with the majority affecting the hamstrings. The chi square test of independence showed that during the first year there was not a statistically significant difference between footballers who sustained a HS and those who did not, while in the second and third year, uninjured athletes significantly outnumbered those with HS. Recurrences also significantly declined during the last two years. These findings highlight the importance of HS prevention, as warm-ups alone were insufficient, while a strengthening program for players with muscular imbalances effectively reduced both HS occurrences and recurrences, reshaping the team’s injury profile.
Keywords: hamstring strains; soccer; professional footballers; injuries; prevention; strengthening
