Exploring the Two Decade Long Rise in Hamstring Injuries

Hamstring injuries continue to plague athletes across every level of competition, from youth sports to the pros. Despite the popularity of prevention programs and so-called gold-standard exercises like traditional leg curls and Nordic hamstring curls, injury rates haven’t declined—they’ve increased. This should force us to ask a tough but necessary question: Are the very exercises designed to protect athletes actually contributing to hamstring injuries?

A deeper biomechanical look reveals a glaring flaw: restraint pad placement.

In traditional leg curls, the restraint pad is positioned across the calf region, directly over critical structures like the Achilles tendon and the muscle bellies of the soleus and gastrocnemius. This setup introduces compressive and shear forces that not only disrupt the tissue’s mechanical function but can also trigger neuromuscular inhibition. Instead of strengthening the posterior chain, we may be actively turning parts of it off. The same issue occurs with…