Soccer Muscle Strains: Can They be Prevented?

Most of us have experienced a muscle strain at some point in our lives. It might have been after running too fast, changing directions quickly, picking up something too heavy. Muscle strains, especially in the hamstring, groin and calves, are common occurrences for soccer players. What about soccer stretches these muscles to and beyond their limits? Why do soccer players experience muscle strains? Muscles are composed of many different fibres that work together as a unit. Muscle strains occur when muscle fibres get overstretched or experience too much force. Due to the nature of soccer, these movements happen regularly. For example, the quick starts, stops, and pivots all require muscles to be firing at full blast to generate and resist huge amounts of power. As these changes have to occur in split seconds, the muscles have to absorb then create this power in a very short amount of time, and…