A ninety-minute football match increases hamstring flexibility in professional players.

ABSTRACT

Flexibility is an integral component in any conditioning program. Flexibility has been defined as the ability of a muscle to lengthen and allow one or more joints in a kinetic chain to move through a range of motion. The lack of flexibility of the hamstring muscle group has been associated with a higher risk of non-contact muscle injury, and for several other conditions, such as changes in lumbopelvic rhythm, greater thoracic kyphosis and lumbar flexion, and lower back pain. The present study explored the effects of a 90-minute soccer match on hamstring group flexibility. Our study shows that a 90-minute football match favorably impacts the flexibility of the hamstring muscle group. Flexibility is a modifiable risk factor for muscle strain injury. It remains to be ascertained how long this effect lasts, and whether it may be associated with the risk of developing or avoiding noncontact injury to the hamstring muscle group.