Medio-Lateral Hamstring Muscle Activity in Unilateral vs. Bilateral Strength Exercises in Female Team Handball Players - A Cross-Sectional Study.
Brian Sørensen, Per Aagaard, Lasse Malchow-Møller and 2 others
PMID 34123523WHAT IT FOUND
Romanian deadlifts, performed either one or two legs, produced the highest medial hamstring activity relative to the lateral hamstring.
Unilateral execution did not reduce this medial dominance. These exercises effectively target the medial hamstring in female handball players.
Key findings
01Bilateral and unilateral Romanian deadlifts showed the greatest medial hamstring dominance over lateral hamstring activity compared to all other tested exercises.
02Switching from bilateral to unilateral execution for the Romanian deadlift did not alter the medial-to-lateral hamstring activation balance.
03Unilateral hip thrusts resulted in the smallest difference between medial and lateral hamstring activity, failing to preferentially target the medial hamstring.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study only included female team handball players, so results may not apply to male athletes or untrained individuals. Some participants performed kettlebell swings with more knee flexion than intended, which may have affected the accuracy of the kinematic correlations for that exercise. This was a cross-sectional study of muscle activity during exercise, not a longitudinal study of injury rates, so it does not prove these exercises prevent ACL injuries.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest and no source of funding.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these exercises reduce ACL injury risk. This study measured muscle activation patterns during the exercises themselves, not injury outcomes. It identifies which exercises target specific muscles, not whether those muscles prevent tears.