The Effect of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Muscle Activity: A Multichannel Electromyography Randomized Controlled Trial

Jozef J M Suskens; H. Maas; Jaap H van Dieën; Gino M M J Kerkhoffs; E.A.  Goedhart; Johannes L Tol; Gustaaf Reurink

doi:10.1123/jab.2023-0037

The Effect of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Muscle Activity: A Multichannel Electromyography Randomized Controlled Trial

Jozef J M Suskens, H. Maas, Jaap H van Dieën, Gino M M J Kerkhoffs, E.A. Goedhart, Johannes L Tol, Gustaaf Reurink

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a Nordic hamstring exercise intervention on biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscle's activity and relative contributions through multichannel electromyography. Twenty-four injury-free male basketball players (mean age 20 [3] y) were randomly assigned to a 12-week intervention (n = 13) or control group (n = 11). The primary outcome measures were normalized muscle activity (percentage of maximal voluntary isometric contraction, %MVIC) and relative contribution of hamstring muscles over 12 weeks. No effects were found on any of the primary outcome measures. Between-group differences over 12 weeks were 2.7%MVIC (95% confidence interval 95% CI, -0.7 to 6.1) for the biceps femoris long head, 3.4%MVIC (95% CI, -1.4 to 8.2) for the semitendinosus, and 0.8%MVIC (95% CI, -3.0 to 4.6) for the semimembranosus, P = .366. Between-group differences over 12 weeks were 1.0% relative contribution (%con; 95% CI, -3.0 to 5.1) for the biceps femoris long head, 2.2% relative contribution (95% CI, -2.8 to 7.2) for the semitendinosus, and -3.3% relative contribution (95% CI, -6.4 to -0.1) for the semimembranosus P = .258. A positive value implies a higher value for the Nordic group. A Nordic hamstring exercise intervention did not affect the level of muscle activity and relative contribution of hamstring muscles in performance of the Nordic hamstring exercise.

Original language	English
Article number	0037
Pages (from-to)	377-387
Number of pages	11
Journal	Journal of Applied Biomechanics
Volume	39
Issue number	6
Early online date	11 Aug 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1123/jab.2023-0037
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2023
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 Human Kinetics, Inc.

Funding

The authors would like to thank L.B. Gerritsen for contribution in data collection, Dr G.S. Faber for his contribution to the measurement setup, Dr S.M. Bruijn for his contribution to the data analysis, and all participants for participating in this study. Funding: This work was performed with participants from the National Basketball Association (NBA)/General Electric (GE) Healthcare Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Collaboration. This work was supported by the Amsterdam Movement Sciences Research Institute (AMS), and the Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development (ZonMw).

Funders	Funder number
Dutch Organization for Health Research and Development
GE) Healthcare Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Collaboration
National Basketball Association
General Electric
ZonMw

Keywords

Adult
Electromyography
Exercise/physiology
Hamstring Muscles/physiology
Humans
Isometric Contraction
Male
Young Adult

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10.1123/jab.2023-0037

Cite this

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title = "The Effect of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Muscle Activity: A Multichannel Electromyography Randomized Controlled Trial",

abstract = "The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a Nordic hamstring exercise intervention on biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscle's activity and relative contributions through multichannel electromyography. Twenty-four injury-free male basketball players (mean age 20 [3] y) were randomly assigned to a 12-week intervention (n = 13) or control group (n = 11). The primary outcome measures were normalized muscle activity (percentage of maximal voluntary isometric contraction, %MVIC) and relative contribution of hamstring muscles over 12 weeks. No effects were found on any of the primary outcome measures. Between-group differences over 12 weeks were 2.7%MVIC (95% confidence interval 95% CI, -0.7 to 6.1) for the biceps femoris long head, 3.4%MVIC (95% CI, -1.4 to 8.2) for the semitendinosus, and 0.8%MVIC (95% CI, -3.0 to 4.6) for the semimembranosus, P = .366. Between-group differences over 12 weeks were 1.0% relative contribution (%con; 95% CI, -3.0 to 5.1) for the biceps femoris long head, 2.2% relative contribution (95% CI, -2.8 to 7.2) for the semitendinosus, and -3.3% relative contribution (95% CI, -6.4 to -0.1) for the semimembranosus P = .258. A positive value implies a higher value for the Nordic group. A Nordic hamstring exercise intervention did not affect the level of muscle activity and relative contribution of hamstring muscles in performance of the Nordic hamstring exercise.",

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author = "Suskens, {Jozef J M} and H. Maas and {van Die{\"e}n}, {Jaap H} and Kerkhoffs, {Gino M M J} and E.A. Goedhart and Tol, {Johannes L} and Gustaaf Reurink",

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doi = "10.1123/jab.2023-0037",

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AU - van Dieën, Jaap H

AU - Kerkhoffs, Gino M M J

AU - Goedhart, E.A.

AU - Tol, Johannes L

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The Effect of the Nordic Hamstring Exercise on Muscle Activity: A Multichannel Electromyography Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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