Knee injuries are some of the worst you can experience. Whether it’s a tear in the ACL, MCL, or patella tendon, they’re all awful. I’ve seen more knee injuries than I’d like to remember. One case involved my future brother-in-law. He was in town for his engagement shower, and I asked him to fill in on my flag football team. During the first series on a fourth down play, I heard a loud pop. Hoping it wasn’t him, I turned and saw him on the ground in pain. Six weeks later at his wedding, some of his family members were definitely giving me the cold shoulder.
Another time, a friend flew in from Chicago to sub in for a game. He was running a simple slant pattern in the end zone when he had to stutter step because one of our linemen, who didn’t know the play, got in his way. Pop. He’s on the ground with a torn MCL and patella tendon. I’ve seen other injuries too, but here’s the strange thing: I can’t remember seeing any athletes blow out their knees when I was in high school. These injuries all happened in my late 20s and 30s. I’m also hearing about more young athletes, even high schoolers, suffering knee injuries. So, what’s causing this?
Regardless of the reasons, knee injuries are a reality now, so how do we prevent them? We need to understand why they’re happening and what we can do to stop them. Often, knee injuries are caused by harsh collisions, but in the instances I mentioned, there were no collisions—it was just sudden stops and cuts. Researchers have found that some knee injuries could be prevented if an athlete’s hamstring strength was greater.
The knee gets stabilization from three main muscle groups: the quadriceps, the calves, and the hamstrings. Often, the hamstrings don’t activate effectively to help stabilize the knee, increasing the risk of injury. Strengthening the hamstrings can help them activate properly for better stabilization. Experts suggest that the hamstrings should be about 80% as strong as the quadriceps for optimal knee stability.
Another key factor is learning how to land correctly after a jump. Teaching athletes the proper way to land during exercises like plyometrics can make these movements instinctive during actual competition, conditioning the joints to handle the impact. This way, when a similar situation happens on the field, the body is better prepared to handle it.
Training for speed also helps prevent knee injuries. A major part of speed training is developing leg strength, including hamstring strength. Strong hamstrings are crucial for running faster. Researchers have found that, for optimal speed development, hamstrings should be around 80% as active as quadriceps. This same 80% ratio is also needed for preventing knee injuries. Additionally, plyometric exercises used for speed training not only build fast-twitch muscle fibers for power but also help the body acclimate to high-impact activities.
To sum up, preventing knee injuries involves strengthening your hamstrings and learning to land correctly during jumps. This also ties into speed training, which requires strong hamstrings and plyometrics to develop explosiveness. Essentially, you’re killing two birds with one stone by focusing on these areas.
For athletes, especially soccer and basketball players, and even more so for females who are at higher risk for knee injuries, this kind of training is crucial. My daughter is almost ten and plays both these sports. You can bet I’ll be incorporating speed and injury prevention training into her routine soon if she continues to play.
If you haven’t been injured yet, don’t assume it won’t happen to you. You’ve just been lucky so far. Take all necessary precautions to reduce your risk of a serious knee injury. Trust me, the pain and rehab process isn’t something you want to go through. Start training now to enjoy the benefits on the field, where you can outperform your competition and stay injury-free.