Hamstring Strain Injury Prevention: Current Beliefs And Practices Of Practitioners Working In Major League Baseball

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Lazarczuk, Stephanie
Headrick, Jonathon
Hickey, Jack
Timmins, Ryan
Leva, Furey
Bourne, Matthew
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Date
2023
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Denver, United States

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Abstract

PURPOSE: Hamstring strain injuries (HSIs) are the leading cause of time loss in Major League Baseball (MLB) and have a 16.3% recurrence rate. The perceived most important HSI risk factors (as ranked by MLB practitioners), most effective prevention strategies, and barriers to implementing effective practice have not been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the beliefs and practices of MLB practitioners in relation to HSI prevention.

METHODS: An online survey was developed with questions pertaining to risk factor identification and importance, the use and perceived effectiveness of prevention strategies, and barriers to implementation. The survey was distributed to all athletic trainers, physical therapists and strength and conditioning coaches employed in the MLB in the 2021 season.

RESULTS: Responses were received from 91 respondents (99% male), from 28 of 30 MLB organizations and with a median of 14 years professional baseball employment. The perceived most important intrinsic risk factor for first-time HSI was tolerance to high-speed running and previous HSI for recurrent injury. The perceived most important extrinsic risk factor for both first-time and recurrent HSI was internal communication between staff. The perceived most effective prevention strategies were exposure to high-speed running (97% of respondents reporting ‘very effective’ or ‘effective’), hydration management (97%), and workload management (96%). The most used prevention strategies were core/lumbopelvic strengthening (91% of respondents reporting use), resistance training (88%) and workload management (84%). Approximately half (53%) of respondents reported barriers to effective implementation of HSI prevention strategies, including player and coach buy-in, compliance, training constraints, and in-season schedule/reduced recovery time.

CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study to investigate the beliefs and practices of MLB practitioners in relation to HSI prevention. The perceived most important risk factors and management strategies were similar to those reported in other sports. Some discrepancies existed between the strategies perceived to be most effective and those used in practice, with barriers preventing implementation of desired strategies.

No funding was received for this study.

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Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise

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ACSM 2023: Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicinne

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55

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9S

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Clinical sciences

Medical physiology

Sports science and exercise

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Life Sciences & Biomedicine

Sport Sciences

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Lazarczuk, S; Headrick, J; Hickey, J; Timmins, R; Leva, F; Bourne, M, Hamstring Strain Injury Prevention: Current Beliefs And Practices Of Practitioners Working In Major League Baseball, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2023, 55 (9S), pp. 859-859