Can Hamstring injuries be avoided?

Question

With all the hammies in the Australian football League, the players are dropping like flies.

Maybe it would be benificial for the players to enrol in ballet classes during the summer months.

When you watch the match, it's perfectly obvious that AFL players don't have the flexibility that soccer players have.

Ron Barassi used ballet stretching methods when he coached and had winning results, however I have not heard of any present day clubs using this technique for stretching the hammies.

You only need to witness the players on the field to see that it's a running game for most of the time, however when something out of the ordinary crops up, where stretching or a difficult move is needed in the contest, that some players appear very stiff in the legs.

Can hamstring injuries be prevented in the game as it's played today ? and if so, why don't the specialist coaches look to ways of toughening up the players in the most important part of a sportsmans body, in this case it's his legs

Answer 1

That sounds like a good idea!

I dunt think today th players hav anything much tht prevents injuries. They should do some more flexibility stuff, like u said.

Answer 2

Hamstring injuries can be avoided .By proper stretching ,good warm up and cool down .If you do have  a problem with your hamstrings it could be because your hamstrings need to get stronger .Your quads are firing against you hamstring and if your hamstring isn't strong enough it will cause the hamstring to pull.

Answer 3

yes

Answer 4

Youve got the qestions and the answers. Well done.

Answer 5

Isn't Collingwood incorporating ballet into their training?

The way some of them prance & poonce about, on the ground during a match, I'm sure they spend more time practicing the pirouette than they do tackling & ball skills.......

Answer 6

There are more players with handbags playing aussie rules today than ever before.   Ladies leagues and teams are cropping up all over the country since the AFL has softened the rules, to appease mothers worried about little Johnny being hurt, by a Carl Ditterich type backhander.      Funnilly enough and significantly, it is at the same time, when GEELONG have won a Grand Final .    AFL players could easily play soccer , but NO soccer players could EVER adjust to playing in the AFL.     "Female" Aussie rules players, would be better prepared (match Fit ) for AFL type competition than any male soccer player in the world !    Now I have to go read your question again to find out what you were on about !

In the slow paced 50's & 60's, players were carried off, with career ending broken leg's, today with the 'pace' of the game, AFL players bodies (Male & Female) are under more stress and strain than ever before,ask James Hird and Nathan Buckley!

Answer 7

There is no foolproof way to completely avoid hamstring injuries. However, the risks can be minimized by paying attention to the principles of muscle strength and flexibility. Individual flexibility should be maximized by a regular stretching program as well as a period of warm-up and stretching before the intended athletic activity.

Optimal individual hamstring strength is 50% to 65% of the strength of the quadriceps muscle (muscle of the front of the thigh). Also, there should be minimal imbalance in strength between right and left legs. If necessary, a weight training program should be instituted to achieve these goals.

A well-balanced diet and appropriate fluid intake are essential to avoid electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Dehydration can lead to muscle cramping, thereby increasing the chance of muscle injury. Excessive body weight increases the risk of muscle injuries in the lower extremities. Some experts have also advocated the use of nutritional supplements, such as antioxidants. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts at prevention and treatment, hamstring injuries will continue to be a common bane of the high performance athlete as well as the "weekend warrior."