The objective of this study was to explore whether lower extremity muscle strength training alters knee and hip biomechanics during a stop-jump task. Knee and hip 3-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data were collected for 66 female recreational athletes while performing 3 stop-jump tasks before and after completing a 9-week strength-training program targeting the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus medius, and gluteus maximus (intervention) or a 9-week period of no strength training (control). The intervention group increased in strength. No significant differences were observed in knee and hip kinematics and kinetics between groups before and after the strength-training protocol.
Strength training alone does not alter knee and hip kinematics and kinetics in female recreational athletes. As a single intervention method this may therefore not be sufficient to reduce the risk of noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury in female recreational athletes.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2008, 36, 733-740