Muscle strain is common in many sports and occurs most often in the hamstring muscle. Because hamstring strain occurrence and recurrence rates are high, many studies of risk factors and prevention programs have been reported to date. In this chapter we review the current knowledge about hamstring strains and reveal some new findings. A number of studies have suggested that increasing age and previous muscle strain increase the muscle strain recurrence rate. However, at present there is little evidence-based research relating to muscle strength, flexibility or fatigue. Due to this lack, effective hamstring strain prevention programs have not been established. Future studies are needed to enable the establishment of effective strain prevention protocols.
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