Hamstring Return-To-Sprint Protocol

Hamstring Health & Injury Guide

Why Hamstring Injuries Happen

Most hamstring injuries do not occur when you're accelerating.

They most commonly occur during:

Late Swing Phase

The moment right before your foot hits the ground at top speed.

At this point:

• your hip is flexed
• your knee is extending
• your lower leg is moving forward rapidly
• the hamstring is lengthening

while simultaneously trying to:

• brake the lower leg
• prepare the foot for contact
• transfer force into the ground

This creates one of the highest force demands seen anywhere in sprinting.

When the hamstring cannot tolerate that force: