- Title
- The effects of fatigue and previous hamstring injury on high speed running biomechanics
- Creator
- Donnan, Luke
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2021
- Description
- Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
- Description
- Background: Over the past 20 years, hamstring strain injury (HSI) rates have remained the greatest problem in dynamic sports such as Australian football (AF) despite extensive research into risk factors and prevention. A history of HSI is identified as one of the strongest predictors of future HSI. Given that HSIs are most likely to occur during high-speed running, the impact of prior HSI and game fatigue on sprinting technique is of interest. The importance of trunk kinematics for HSI risk has emerged in recent years, while the concept of movement variability has not yet been applied to investigate risk of HSIs among football cohorts. Thesis Aims: To examine the impact of lower limb neuromuscular fatigue on sprint mechanics and movement variability, and to determine whether differences exist between those with and without a history of HSI. Methods: Thirty-one community-level AF players (19 with no history of HSI, 12 with a reported history of HSI within the two years prior to testing) attempted a game-type running protocol (GRP) that simulated the running demands of an AF match. Using a combination of treadmill and overground running, fatigue measures, surface electromyography, ground reaction forces and three-dimensional motion analysis data were collected periodically when participants performed 20 m overground sprints throughout the GRP. Results: Participants completing the GRP showed significant reductions in performance (sprint speed) and increases in perceived exertion (rating of perceived exertion) measures, but no significant changes were observed for measures of central fatigue (grip strength) or peripheral fatigue (blood lactate). Physical exertion precipitated a series of small but significant changes to ankle and knee biomechanics, no biomechanical changes to the hip and trunk, and increased variability of peak net internal joint moments acting on the thoraco-lumbar region of the spine. Changes to the timing biceps femoris and semitendinosus was also observed during the early loading phase of gait. History of HSI was consistently shown to have limited or no impact on the kinetic and kinematic outcome measures, and the Control and History groups were equally impacted by physical exertion. Conclusions: The observed decline in task performance (sprint speed) and increases in perceived exertion may suggest physical exertion was required to complete the novel 13.2km GRP. All participants showed a series of subtle biomechanical changes that suggest a relationship exists between peak net internal joint moments, movement variability and extensor muscle activity. The impacts of physical exertion on trunk and lower-limb biomechanics were shown to be largely independent of HSI history. The identification of likely relationships between the biomechanical variables assessed may warrant further investigation using different techniques to process and analyse data. This may broaden the understanding of the factors contributing to hamstring strain injuries in football cohorts.
- Subject
- hamstring strain injury; Australian football; trunk kinematics; biomechanics
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1503498
- Identifier
- uon:55337
- Rights
- Copyright 2021 Luke Donnan
- Language
- eng
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Thesis | 4 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Abstract | 414 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |