Preseason Strength Training Can Reduce Injury Rates in Soccer Players

December 10, 2003

Taken from:

http://www.nsca-lift.org/Perform/article.asp?ArticleID=105

Researchers at the Department of Sport and Health Science at the

Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden recently examined the

effects of a preseason strength training program on the occurrence

and severity of hamstring injuries in elite male soccer players.

Thirty soccer players from the best premier-league division teams in

Sweden were divided into two groups.

One group performed eccentric exercises specifically designed for the

hamstring 2 times per week for a period of 10 weeks, while the second

group performed no special hamstring training. The occurrence of

hamstring injuries in the hamstring-training group was 36.7% lower

than in the group that performed no hamstring training. The hamstring-

training group also experienced significantly greater gains in

strength and speed than the non-training groups. The researchers

concluded that the inclusion of hamstring exercises that

eccentrically load the hamstrings is beneficial from a performance

enhancement and injury prevention perspective for soccer player.

Askling C, Karlsson J, Thorstensson A. (2003). Hamstring injury

occurrence in elite soccer players after preseason strength training

with eccentric overload. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science

in Sports, 13(4):244 – 250.

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Carruthers

Wakefield, UK

December 30, 2003

<<<There is a high need for a much more in-depth approach to training

our soccer players. One only has to look at the rate of injury in the

English Premiership again this season. As a Liverpool fan (and one

not ashamed to say it) I have seen a team disseminated by injury.

Owen has not played a single season of his career intact and

he is still only 24.

Much more needs to be done, and quickly. Attitudes must change, it's

as simple as that.>>>

***What can be done that already hasn't been tried? The research is

available, the conferences take place (BASES / BASEM etc), the sport

scientists / strength and conditioning coaches offer their services

for free in many cases, but the results as in many other sports are

the same; the attitudes remain unchanged. Some coaches seem to adopt

a `blinkers' approach whereby they only see what they want to

see. 'Answer' for most clubs: Roman Abramovich:)

Example:

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0251.htm

<<<The Third World Congress of Science and Football took place in

Cardiff earlier this year. The congress included not only keynote

lectures from authorities throughout the world but also short

communications and poster presentations on scientific aspects of

sport relating to all codes of football. But soccer wasn't the only

sport on the menu--rugby, Aussie Rules, Grid Iron, Gaelic and the

fast-growing sport of touch rugby for women Down Under were all

discussed as well.

As far as soccer was concerned, the range of debate was wide,

including such areas as psychological and physical preparation of

players, coaching, biomechanics, sports medicine, match analysis and

sociological perspectives. It was very much a multi-disciplinary

conference, so it's a pity there was so little representation from

British soccer clubs, who might have learned something. This could be

one reason why British football is starting to lag behind the rest of

the world. Other nations appear far more ready to take on new ideas

for the preparation of their players…>>>

**Hopefully due to the success that England Rugby Union have had over

the last three to four years one would hope to see changes in many

other sports.

It was only after a visit to Denver Broncos that Clive Woodward the

England coach adopted an interdisciplinary approach (team of

specialists e.g., fitness coach, psychologist, defensive coach,

nutritionist etc) (Refer to Yessis (1980s! NSCA) for more info.).

Best regards

Carruthers

Wakefield, UK

December 30, 2003