← All sources
Preventive effect of eccentric training on acute hamstring injuries in men's soccer: a cluster-randomized controlled trial
Cluster RCT in Danish male soccer teams (intervention n≈461; control n≈481): a progressive Nordic hamstring eccentric programme markedly reduced acute hamstring injury incidence versus usual warm-up, including large reductions in recurrent injuries.
Design
- Cluster-randomized controlled trial; 50 men's soccer teams (461 intervention players; 481 controls)
- Intervention: 10-week progressive Nordic hamstring eccentric programme during mid-season break, then weekly maintenance sessions
Injury outcomes (abstract / paper)
- Acute hamstring injuries: 15 (intervention) vs 52 (control) in primary reporting framework
- Adjusted rate ratio for new injuries reported ~0.35 territory; recurrent injury rate ratio ~0.14 with low NNT in paper discussion—read forest plots for exact cluster models
Evidence hygiene
- Male soccer external validity—translate cautiously to female athletes, sprint-heavy field sports with different load-management contexts.
- Classify as eccentric hamstring strengthening (resistance-training family), distinct from static stretching BP crossover trials on
stretching-training.
Publication
Petersen J, Thorborg K, Nielsen MB, Budtz-Jørgensen E, Hölmich P. Am J Sports Med. 2011 Nov;39(11):2296-303. PMID 21825112.
Outcomes
- Cluster RCT: Nordic hamstring eccentric programme associated with large reduction in acute hamstring injuries versus control season (15 vs 52 injuries in primary abstract accounting).
- Recurrent hamstring injuries reduced more sharply than first-time injuries in trial-reported rate models—see paper for adjusted rate ratios and cluster CIs.