Effect of Sampling Frequency on a Unilateral Isometric Hamstring Strength Assessment Using Force Plates

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of sampling frequency on the 90–90° (90-degrees hip and knee flexion) isometric hamstring assessment. Thirty-three elite female soccer players (age: 18.7 ± 3.7 years; height: 158.3 ± 5.9 cm; body mass: 62.8 ± 5.5 kg) performed three unilateral trials on a single occasion of the 90–90° isometric hamstring assessment. Force-time data were collected using force plates at 1000 Hz and down sampled to 500-, 250-, and 100 Hz. Peak force (N), force (N) at 100- and 200 ms and average rate of force development (aRFD) (N/s) over a 100- and 200 ms epoch were calculated. A repeated measures of analysis of variance and effect size was used to compare means. Excellent absolute and good relative reliability was observed for peak force across all sampling frequencies. Force at 100- and 200 ms and aRFD over 100 ms and 200 ms resulted poor-moderate relative reliability and poor-excellent absolute reliability. No significant trivial differences were observed for peak force between sampling frequencies (P > 0.05, Cohen’s d = 0.02–0.12). A significant difference (P < 0.001) was identified in 500, 250 and 100 Hz, with small-moderate and small-large increases in force at set time points and aRFD, respectively, in comparison to 1000 Hz (d = 0.21–2.00). Higher sampling frequencies (> 500 Hz) reduces the reliability of time dependent force characteristics, with minimal effect on peak force. Regular monitoring of peak force can be performed with higher sampling frequencies, but lower sampling frequencies would be beneficial to collect reliable rapid-force generating measures.

Keywords

Isometric hamstring strength testing / Force plate sampling frequency / Force plate reliability

References

[1] Aagaard P, Simonsen EB, Andersen JL, Magnusson P, Dyhre-Poulsen P. Increased rate of force development and neural drive of human skeletal muscle following resistance training. J Appl Physiol, 2002, 93: 1318-26

[2] Aiello F, Di Claudio C, Fanchini M, Impellizzeri FM, McCall A, Sharp C, Brown SJ. Do non-contact injuries occur during high-speed running in elite football? Preliminary results from a novel GPS and video-based method. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2023;26(9):465–70.

[3] Andersen JL, Aagaard P. Effects of strength training on muscle fiber types and size;consequences for athletes training for high-intensity sport. Scand J Med Sci Sports, 2010, 20(Suppl 2): 32-8

[4] Bettariga F, Bishop C, Martorelli L, Turner A, Lazzarini SG, Algeri C, Maestroni L. Acute effects of a fatiguing protocol on peak force and rate of force development of the hamstring muscles in soccer players. J Sci Sport Exerc. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42978-023-00228-x

[5] Brooks JH, Fuller CW, Kemp SP, Reddin DB. Incidence, risk, and prevention of hamstring muscle injuries in professional rugby union. Am J Sports Med, 2006, 34(8): 1297-306

[6] Chumanov ES, Heiderscheit BC, Thelen DG. Hamstring musculotendon dynamics during stance and swing phases of high-speed running. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2011, 43(3): 525-32

[7] Comfort P, Dos’Santos T, Beckham GK, Stone M, Guppy S, Haff G. Standardization and methodological considerations for the isometric midthigh pull. Strength Conditioning J, 2019, 41(2): 1

[8] Constantine E, Taberner M, Richter C, Willett M, Cohen DD. Isometric posterior chain Peak Force Recovery Response following Match-Play in Elite Youth Soccer players: associations with relative posterior chain strength. Sports, 2019, 7(218): 1-12

[9] Cuthbert M, Comfort P, Ripley N, McMahon JJ, Evans M, Bishop C. Unilateral vs. bilateral hamstring strength assessments: comparing reliability and inter-limb asymmetries in female soccer players. J Sports Sci, 2021, 39(13): 1481-8

[10] D’Alonzo BA, Bretzin AC, Chandran A, Boltz AJ, Robison HJ, Collins CL, et al.. Epidemiology of Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s Lacrosse: 2014–2015 through 2018–2019. J Athl Train, 2021, 56(7): 758-65

[11] Danielsson A, Hovarth A, Senorski C, Alentorn-Geli E, Garrett WE, Cugat R, et al.. The mechanism of Hamstring injuries - a systematic review. BMC Musculoskelet Disorders, 2020, 21(641): 1-21

[12] Dos’Santos T, Jones PA, Comfort P, Thomas C. Effect of different onset thresholds on isometric midthigh pull force-time variables. J Strength Cond Res, 2017, 31(12): 3463-73

[13] Dos’Santos T, Jones PA, Kelly J, McMahon JJ, Comfort P, Thomas C. Effect of sampling frequency on isometric midthigh-pull kinetics. Int J Sports Physiol Perform, 2019, 14(4): 525-30

[14] Ekstrand J, Bengtsson H, Waldén M, Davison M, Khan KM, Hägglund M. Hamstring injury rates have increased during recent seasons and now constitute 24% of all injuries in men’s professional football: the UEFA Elite Club Injury Study from 2001/02 to 2021/22. Br J Sports Med, 2023, 57(5): 292-8

[15] Ekstrand J, Hagglund M, Walden M. Epidemiology of muscle injuries in professional football (soccer). Am J Sports Med, 2011, 39(6): 1226-32

[16] Ekstrand J, Walden M, Hagglund M. Hamstring injuries have increased by 4% annually in men’s professional football, since 2001: a 13-year longitudinal analysis of the UEFA Elite Club injury study. Br J Sports Med, 2016, 50(12): 731-7

[17] Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods, 2007, 39(2): 175-91

[18] Guppy S, Yosuke K, Brady CJ, Connolly S, Comfort P, Haff GG. The reliability and magnitude of time-dependent force-time characteristics during the isometric midthigh pull are affected by both testing protocol and analysis choices. J Strength Conditioning Res, 2022, 36(5): 1191-9

[19] Hopkins W. A scale of magnitudes for effect statistics. A new view of statistics. 2002. http://www.sportsci.org/resource/stats/.

[20] Koo TK, Li MY. A Guideline of selecting and reporting Intraclass correlation coefficients for Reliability Research. J Chiropratic Mediint, 2016, 15: 166-3

[21] Kottner J, Audige L, Broson S, Donner A, Gajewski BJ, Hrobjartsson A, et al.. Guidelines for reporting reliability and Agreement studies (GRRAS) were proposed. Int J Nurs Stud, 2011, 28: 661-71

[22] Malone S, Owen A, Mendes B, Hughes B, Collins K, Gabbett TJ. High-speed running and sprinting as an injury risk factor in soccer: can well-developed physical qualities reduce the risk?. J Sci Med Sport, 2018, 21(3): 257-62

[23] Matinlauri A, Alcaraz PE, Freitas TT, Mendiguchia J, Abedin-Maghanaki A, Castillo A, et al.. A comparison of the isometric force fatigue- recovery profile in two posterior chain lower limb tests following simulated soccer competition. PLoS ONE, 2019, 14(5): 1-16

[24] McCall A, Nedelec M, Carling C, Le Gall F, Berthoin S, Dupont G. Reliability and sensitivity of a simple isometric posterior lower limb muscle test in professional football players. J Sports Sci. 2015;33(12):1298–304.

[25] McGraw KO, Wong SP. Forming inferences about some Intraclass correlation coefficients. Psychol Methods, 1996, 1(1): 30-46

[26] Nagano Y, Higashihara A, Edama M. Change in muscle thickness under contracting conditions following return to sports after a hamstring muscle strain injury - a pilot study. Asia-Pacific J Sports Med Arthrosc Rehabilitation Technol. 2015;2:63–7.

[27] Nyquist H. Certain topics in telegraph transmission theory. Transations Am Institure Electr Eng, 1928, 47(2): 617-44

[28] Opar, Williams. Shield. Hamstring strain injuries: factors that lead to injury and re-injury. Sports Med. 2012;42(3):209–26.

[29] Panagodage Perera NK, Kountouris A, Kemp JL, Joseph C, Finch CF. The incidence, prevalence, nature, severity and mechanisms of injury in elite female cricketers: a prospective cohort study. J Sci Med Sport. 2019;22(9):2012–20.

[30] Plagenhoef S, Gaynor Evans F, Abdelnour T. Anatomical data for analyzing human motion. Res Q Exerc Sport, 1983, 54(2): 169-78

[31] Read PJ, Oliver JL, De Ste Croix MBA, Myer GD, Lloyd RS. An audit of injuries in six English professional soccer academies. J Sports Sci, 2018, 36(13): 1542-8

[32] Roe M, Murphy JC, Gissane C, Blake C. Hamstring injuries in elite gaelic football: an 8-year investigation to identify injury rates, time-loss patterns and players at increased risk. Br J Sports Med, 2018, 52: 982-8

[33] Shrout PE, Fleiss JL. Intraclass correlations: uses in assessing rater reliability. Psychol Bull, 1979, 86(2): 420-8

[34] Tillin NA, Jimenez-Reyes P, Pain MTG, Folland J. Neuromuscular performance of Explosive Power athletes versus untrained individuals. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2010, 42(4): 781-90

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

The Author(s)