I saw a report that "tight" hamstrings can lead to increased athletic injuries. How is "tight" measured?
This is a good question. Much research has been done on the topic, but not all studies use the same measurements. Different sporting events have been studied using different muscles and measures. For example, a study in Belgium focused on professional soccer players. The authors of this study defined "tight" as less than 90-degrees of hip flexion. This was measured with the player on his back with the legs straight. One foot and leg was then lifted off the table as far as possible and the angle of hip flexion measured. The knee stayed straight throughout the motion. As soon as the knee started to bend, the hip motion was measured. In this study, anything less than 90-degrees was considered "tight." Other studies measure the length of the hamstrings slightly differently.
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