Preventive exercises as group therapy for the hamstring muscles It takes three to tango

The main objective of this thesis is to assess hamstring (i.e., biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus) activity during the Nordic hamstring exercise and during high-speed running. And, to investigate the hamstring’s response to eccentric (i.e., active lengthening of muscles) exercises over time on muscle activity and muscle fiber architecture. The results of this thesis show that the hamstring muscles cooperate by dividing activity differently in different conditions. Individual hamstring muscles responded differently to different types of eccentric stimuli, possibly optimizing the harmonious cooperation, and so preventing injuries. The higher levels of muscle activity of the semitendinosus during the Nordic hamstring exercise, and the increase in fascicle length of the semitendinosus because of a 12-week Nordic hamstring exercise intervention are both in favor of considering the semitendinosus as preventive patron for the vulnerable biceps femoris long head. Results indicate that it takes three to tango in successful hamstring injury prevention.