Effect of Specific ACL Injury Prevention Training in Female Handball Players

The anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries rates in female handball are high, particularly among adolescents. Therefore, the primary purpose of this randomized control trial is to explore the effects of an 8-week ACL injury prevention program on muscle activation of the medial hamstring muscles during sidecutting in female handball players. Secondary aims are to evaluate if training effects are age-related (pre-adolescent: 11-13 year old vs. adults: ≥18 years old). The age-related comparisons Include: 1. Medial hamstring muscles activation during sidecutting; 2. Well-known biomechanical ACL injury-risk factors during high risk movements, such as cutting and landing tasks; 3. Cortical and muscular activity and functional connectivity patterns during controlled knee movements; 4. Visuomotor skill learning during a simple task involving the hamstring muscles.