This crossover trial aimed to investigate whether additional loading of unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise on a sloped platform would increase the biceps femoris long head electromyographic activity. Participants were randomly allocated to unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise under three conditions: bodyweight only (BW) or BW with an added weighted ball of 3 kg (BW + 3 kg) or 6 kg (BW + 6 kg), respectively. The biceps femoris long head electromyographic activity was significantly higher for BW + 6 kg (p < .001) than for BW and BW + 3 kg (p < .01). Therefore, adding a load to unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise on a sloped platform might be effective for rehabilitation and prevention of hamstring strain injury recurrence.
Changes in Amplitude of Hamstring Electromyographic Activity and Its Peak Location During Nordic Hamstring Exercise by Adding External Load
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Toshiaki Soga
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3487-0288
Toshiaki Soga
Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Hiromi Saito
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3967-6537
Hiromi Saito
Graduate School of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Kei Akiyama
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9308-3487
Kei Akiyama
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Norikazu Hirose
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7212-6057
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Norikazu Hirose
Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
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Soga https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3487-0288
Saito https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3967-6537
Akiyama https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9308-3487
Hirose (toitsu_hirose@waseda.jp) is corresponding author, https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7212-6057
Adding an external load to NHE increased BFlh EMG activity.
Increased load might cause knee flexion angle at peak BFlh EMG activity to shift to the deep knee flexion angle.
Rehabilitation exercises that increase BFlh EMG activity at knee flexion angle of <35° might be effective and prevent HSI recurrence.
Careful consideration while adding a load to NHE is required.
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