In our last article we talked about injury prevention in general. We mentioned that neuromuscular, proprioceptive or sensomotoric training are effective interventions. These training models describe an interaction between the neuronal and muscular systems and aim to improve the interrelation. This article will deal with neuromuscular training.

In sport in general, a neuromuscular control system is enormously important in order to dynamically stabilise the joints under the loads that are generated. Occurring movements such as rotations and spins around all body axes represent a challenge for the human body. It is therefore extremely important to focus on this issue in a sport-specific approach. The aim is to prepare the nervous and muscular system for sport-specific forms of movement and to be able to guarantee adequate activation of the muscular system in every situation. Among other things, injuries can be prevented and the rehabilitation process can be reduced.

Intra- and intermuscular coordination is central to this approach. In this sense, the body can be protected from unconscious and involuntary high loads, as can occur in a tackle. The foundation for this is formed by automatic movements. For example, it is undisputed that a well-developed core and leg axis stability is of enormous importance in a football match. In neuromuscular training, an improvement in the relationship between coordination and strength takes place.

Neuromuscular training is ideal for a warm-up programme and should be integrated into the daily training routine. Especially athletes who have been injured in the past can benefit from such a specific programme, as they often still have deficits at the neuromuscular and postural level. However, it is not only injured players who benefit. Performance, as has already been demonstrated in numerous studies, can certainly be improved as well.

Effectiveness of neuromuscular training

Neuromuscular training includes specific exercises to train the neural and muscular components of movement. It is an integral part of ACL rehabilitation, as biomechanics (the way people move) plays an important role in ACL injuries. 70-85% of all cruciate ligament ruptures are caused by a non-contact trauma. If the athlete knows how to land well when jumping or doing sports, the risk of an ACL injury can be reduced. In the long run, the risk of ACL injuries is reduced by up to 50%. It also reduces the risk of other injuries, such as injuries to the lower extremities like knees and ankles. As such a programme improves performance, it benefits an entire team and not just the individual. However, neuromuscular training programmes do not replace strength training and should therefore be used as a complementary training programme. It should be done for about 30 minutes per week. This can be incorporated into the warm-up programme of 10 to 15 minutes before a training session or match, for example.

Known approaches of the neuromuscular training programme

Netball KNEE Program

Soccer FIFA 11+

AFL Footy First

References

Faude, O., & Rössler, R. (2019). Neuromuskuläres Training zur Verletzungsprävention im Kinder- und Jugendsport. Sportphysio, 7(01), 30-36.

Hewett, T. E., Lindenfeld, T. N., Riccobene, J. V., & Noyes, F. R. (1999). The effect of neuromuscular training on the incidence of knee injury in female athletes. The American journal of sports medicine, 27(6), 699-706.

Hottenrott, K., Gronwald, T., & Neumann, G. (2011). Verletzungsprävention durch Verbesserung der neuromuskulären Bewegungskontrolle. Sport-Orthopädie-Sport-Traumatologie-Sports Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 27(4), 274-282.

Hübscher, M., Zech, A., Pfeifer, K., Hänsel, F., Vogt, L., & Banzer, W. (2010). Neuromuscular training for sports injury prevention: a systematic review. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 42(3), 413-421.

Jöllenbeck, T., Beck, K., Neuhaus, D., Pietschmann, J., & Wawer, C. (2013). Feedback-Training zum Erlernen einer vorgegeben Teilbelastung beim Gehen mit Gehstützen.

Kollath, E., & Buschmann, J. (2010). Fußball. Meyer & Meyer.