HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? MAINTAINING THE BIOMECHANICAL BENEFITS OF AN ACL INJURY PREVENTION TRAINING PROGRAM

Abstract

This study investigated the effect of a 16-week maintenance training program which directly followed a high-dose 9 week initial training intervention, as part of a biomechanically informed ACL injury prevention program. Three-dimensional kinematic and kinetic data of elite female hockey players (n=16) were collected at baseline, post initial training and post maintenance training during unplanned sidestepping. Maintenance training was effective in retaining reduced peak knee valgus moments in a ‘high-risk’ subgroup elicited from the initial training program. Conversely, although the total group demonstrated no benefits following initial training, they displayed a reduction (?-26.3%, g=0.30) in peak valgus knee moments following maintenance training, suggesting a prolonged albeit moderate dose of training was effective for this population.