Research Paper Title

Effects of an Elastic Hamstring Assistance Device During Downhill Running.

Background

The purpose of this study was to determine the appropriateness of using an elastic hamstring assistance device to reduce perceived levels of soreness, increase isometric strength, increase passive range of motion, and decrease biomarkers of muscle damage after eccentric exercise, specifically, downhill running.

Methods

This study was conducted in a university exercise physiology laboratory placing sixteen apparently healthy males (X = 21.6 ± 2.5 years) into two groups using a pre-test/post-test design. Pre-intervention measures taken included participants’ body height, body mass, body fat, capillary blood samples, VO2max, isometric hamstring strength at 45 and 90 degrees of flexion and passive hamstring range of motion. Post-intervention measures included blood biomarkers, passive range of motion, the perceived level of soreness and isometric strength. An analysis of normality of data was initially conducted followed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) of hamstring strength at 45 and 90 degrees of flexion, blood myoglobin and passive range of motion of the hamstrings.

Results

Statistically significant changes were noted in subject-perceived muscle soreness and isometric strength at 90 degrees at the 24-hour post-exercise trial measure between the two groups.

Conclusions

Results would suggest the findings could be explained by the decrease in muscle soreness from utilising the device during the exercise trial. Further research should be conducted to address sample size issues and to determine if the results are comparable on different surfaces.

Reference

Aldret, R.L., Trahan, B.A., Davis, G., Campbell, B. & Bellar, D.M. (2017) Effects of an Elastic Hamstring Assistance Device During Downhill Running. Journal of Human Kinetics. 57: 73–83. Published online 2017 Jun 22. doi: 10.1515/hukin-2017-0048.