Longitudinal monitoring of eccentric hamstring strength during fixture congestion in professional football: No changes in force despite increased match frequency | PSCJ | UKSCA

Longitudinal monitoring of eccentric hamstring strength during fixture congestion in professional football: No changes in force despite increased match frequency

16/10/2026

Lead author:
Andreas Spagnolo, Malta FA
Co-authors:
Paolo Perna, Nicholas Ripley

ABSTRACT

Hamstring strain injuries are highly prevalent in professional football and represent a major performance and economic burden. The Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is widely used to develop and maintain eccentric hamstring strength, yet practitioners may reduce or remove it during congested fixture periods because of concerns regarding fatigue and delayed-onset muscle soreness. This study aimed to examine the longitudinal stability of eccentric peak force across a 28-week competitive season in professional male footballers. Specifically, it compared eccentric strength during single-match and double-match weeks and investigated whether dominant and non-dominant limbs demonstrated different force outputs throughout the season in elite settings.

View PDF: Spagnolo.pdf

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Author: Andrea Spagnolo

Andrea is an accredited UKSCA Strength & Conditioning Coach currently serving as Head of Strength & Conditioning for the Malta Football Association, where he leads the physical preparation for the senior national team and oversees the long-term athletic development programmes for the U15–U18 age groups.

Author: Paolo Perna

Paolo Perna PhD is a sport rehabilitation specialist and accredited strength and conditioning coach currently serving as Lead Rehabilitation Physiotherapist at RC Strasbourg Alsace in France, where he oversees return-to-play processes and injury management within the professional squad.

Author: Nicholas Ripley

Dr Nicholas Ripley holds the ASCC, CSCS*D and PSCC and is a lecturer in strength and conditioning the University of Salford and adjunct lecturer at Edith Cowan University. He is head of strength and conditioning at GB Lacrosse and casual academy athletic development coach with Manchester United. Recently has published work on the implementation and application of force assessments in sport and tactical settings. With over a decade of experience working with high-performance teams and athletes, the application is of primary interest to his work.

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