#cricket #fastbowling #fitness #squats #hamstringinjuries
Ques: Why cricketers get hamstring injuries?
Let us try to understand it via this video
Ques: What is meant by bringing fluency or effortlessness in movement, and why is it important?
When we think about generating power through our legs, we often think about exercises such as squats or lunges. However, we can also enhance our power by improving our movement quality.
Ques: What is considered a perfect movement according to human movement science?
A perfect movement is one that follows the correct biomechanical pathway.
Ques: Why is it crucial to ensure movements are swift, fluent, energy-efficient, and ultimately powerful?
It is essential to maintain fluency, effortlessness, and energy efficiency in our movements to avoid injury and keep ourselves healthy.
Ques: How and why?
By examining the video, you can comprehend the significance of each muscle in the circuitry pathway of the leg-strengthening jumping exercise, as well as the synchronization of the upper and lower body. However, if the exercise is not executed correctly, it is possible to jump to the same height or even higher, but at the cost of some muscles having to overwork. This will result in the movement not appearing as effortless as it should. Overactivation of muscles, similar to overworking ourselves, can lead to fatigue and exhaustion.
Ques: What happens then?
Whenever a muscle is over-activated, it will compensate for other muscles and become even more hyperactive in carrying out its task. This is always the case.
Ques: What happens with over-activated muscle?
It’s important to understand that overusing certain muscles can lead to injuries, and this is particularly evident in the case of cricketers and hamstring injuries. Think of it like running a car at high speed with just one brand new tire – it might work for a while, but eventually something will give out.
The hamstrings are a group of strong and long muscles that are not meant to be easily injured during normal activities. However, when they are compensating for other muscles and becoming over-activated or over-worked, they are more likely to sustain an injury.
To illustrate this, consider the pictures provided which depict how injuries can occur when certain muscles are overworked and fatigued. Depending on which muscles are affected, the injuries can occur in specific locations such as the back, hamstrings, ankles, or shins.
In fast bowlers, assessing and correcting their movements can have a significant impact on their performance and injury risk. By making even small adjustments, such as reducing compensation from certain muscles, they can increase their speed, maintain their energy levels, and avoid injuries that can potentially end their career.
Ques: Why cricketers are suseptible to hamstrings injuries?
There are several reasons why cricketers are more prone to hamstring injuries.
Firstly, their footwear – spikes – can increase the amount of ground contact time and put more stress on the hamstrings, leading to over-activation and potential injury. This topic is explored in more detail in a blog post by Umesh Chhikara (https://umeshchhikara.com/2020/03/31/cricket-spikes-injuries/).
Secondly, cricketers often do not take the time to properly rest and recover their muscles, leading to over-activation and inhibited activation.
Lastly, cricketers may overwork their hamstring muscles through exercises like weighted squats and Olympic lifts, resulting in super over-activation that can affect the functioning of all the joints – ankle, knee, and hip – and ultimately lead to injury.
Ques: What should we do about over-activated musculature?
Definitely not load it more!! It will break faster. The best long term solution is to find the reason for its over-activation. And short term solution is to relax it. #notoverloadit!
Testing is important however I find our current testing systems bookish. A muscle hadn’t got injured because it lacked strength therefore what’s the point of testing strength. Instead we should check for abnormality that made it vulnerable and strength is definitely not one in any field sportsman.
Ques: What is the best way to rehab hamstring injury or test?
Running at different speeds (progression from slow to fast), at different angles, and finally from different postural dispositions replicating the demands of the game – agility, change of direction, stance to push sprints, single leg hops etc
Umesh Chhikara 