Article also featured on DC Alumni Sports.com

This summer I watched our acclaimed American sprinter Tyson Gay pull and tear his hamstring during the Olympic trials.  What a sad occurrence, because Gay was supposed to beat up on the likes of Jamaican sprinters Bolt and Powell. 

Being a sprinter in a Division 1 Track and Field program, I’ve also had my fair share of hamstring hang-ups. I know the depression and let-down of our recreational and elite runners.  The fact that one muscle could shut you down is mind blowing!

My strength and conditioning coach believed he had it all figured out: strengthening the hamstrings and increasing its flexibility was the key to protecting me and my teammates from any further hamstring injuries. He preached that there should be a balance between the strength of the quadriceps and hamstrings. The quadriceps should not overpower the hamstrings because that would cause an increased “knee extension moment” (aka: knee straightening) causing the hamstring to fail. We followed his plan meticulously, but, for most of us, it didn’t work.

Understand that professionals have been pushing this same theory, and elite athletes have been following it uninterrupted for years. And while some athletes do escape hamstring injuries like the one that affected Tyson Gay, most are plagued by recurring problems. Why?

Anatomy and Physiology

First, it is important to understand that EVERY body is created differently - some bodies have a natural disposition to injure one part over another.

1. Functionally, the hamstring is more or less a postural control muscle for the knees and the hips.  It originates from the “sit” bone located in your buttocks and, as a group, is actually comprised of THREE different muscles. I say it’s just  a “postural” muscle because, if you look at the bio-mechanics of the run or the walk, there is very little firing except when the knees and hips are propelling someone forward. The muscle’s MAIN job is to CONTROL or slow down these joints, preventing hyper-extension.
2. The hip flexor, or the iliopsoas, and the quadriceps - have come under fire recently as a cause for back injuries because of where they attach to the pelvis. The main job of these two muscles, however, is to provide stability when the foot hits the ground. In other words, they keep your body from collapsing at the knees or hips and falling; shattering your precious face.
3. Why is this important?  ALL THESE MUSCLES ATTACH TO THE PELVIS!

MY THEORY

My practical theory is that the focus should shift from your knees to your PELVIS. Imagine a side profile of your body. We’re going to make a pulley system out of it: the hamstrings are on one side and the hip flexors and the quadriceps are on the other with the pelvis as the axis.  Both sides need to keep their tension.  If you stretch out the hamstrings, the psoas and the quads have an advantage and will therefore turn your pelvis forward and down. As I mentioned above, the hamstrings need their regular length to produce a controlling force on the knees and hips.  When it needs to stretch to control the knees from overextending, the hamstring fails and tears because IT’S ALREADY OVERSTRETCHED. Like an elastic band, it won’t be able to stretch over its limit. 

As a side note, this is also the very same reason you may have the perception your hamstrings are tight all the time. An overstretched muscle will make you feel tight as well, and if you continue to stretch it your front muscles will continue to get tighter and perpetuate the vicious cycle.

Here’s the reality: this is already a problem for most of us because we sit all day for work, sit all day in a car to get us places, and then go home and sit for the remaining time in front of a TV.  On the weekends we try to be a super hero and then hurt ourselves. 

Your hamstrings are already over stretched, and your front muscles - like the psoas and the quads - are overly tight. Here are your take home lessons:

1. Don’t stretch your hamstrings. Stretch your quads and the psoas. See my exercises for the hips and lower back.
2. Don’t sit all day. Do the stretches linked above 3-4 times (or more) per day for 30 seconds as it takes that long for real change to occur in your muscles.
3. See your licensed health care provider if your problems persist.

Enjoy your holidays! And remember to live the WAY OF THE WARRIOR!

JUSTIN LIN

This is the final column for "The Weekend Warrior" this year, but Justin will return after the holidays.

 

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