Can we modify maximal speed running posture? Implications for performance and hamstring injuries management

Key points

1. 01Anterior pelvic tilt during late swing phase decreased significantly in the intervention group only, which may reduce hamstring tissue strain at the most vulnerable point in the sprint cycle.
2. 02Maximum knee height increased from 0.68 m to 0.77 m (ES 3.05) and distance between knees at touchdown dropped from 0.28 m to 0.16 m (ES -2.02), reflecting a shift toward front-side sprint mechanics.
3. 03Thigh angular retraction velocity improved by 17.5% and ground contact time shortened from 0.109 s to 0.102 s, both linked to faster sprinting.
4. 04Sprint split times improved significantly across multiple intervals (0-5 m, 5-10 m, 10-15 m, 25-35 m, and cumulative 0-20 m and 0-35 m) in the intervention group but not in controls.
5. 05The study is the first to demonstrate that maximal-speed sprint kinematics, including pelvic tilt, can be modified through a structured training intervention.

How it was conducted

Design

Prospective comparative trial with pre- and post-testing separated by a 6-week intervention period

Participants

15 healthy amateur male athletes (mean height 1.79 m, mean weight 77.0 kg); 8 control, 7 intervention

Intervention

3 sessions per week for 6 weeks integrating coaching, lumbopelvic strength and conditioning, manual therapy, mobility, and sprint front-side mechanics drills

Control

Maintained usual training with no specific sprint technique or lumbopelvic program

Primary outcome

3D pelvis and lower-limb kinematics during the maximal speed phase of a 35 m sprint, analysed by statistical parametric mapping and discrete variable analysis

Secondary outcome

Sprint split times recorded at 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 35 m using photoelectric timing gates

What they found

• Anterior pelvic tilt during late swing phase (80-95% stride) decreased significantly in the intervention group (p=0.01; ES -1.24, 95% CI -2.16 to -0.28); no change in the control group.
• Pelvic obliquity on the free-leg side during early swing phase increased significantly in the intervention group (p=0.03; ES -0.99, 95% CI -1.83 to -0.11).
• Maximum knee height increased from 0.68 +/- 0.06 m to 0.77 +/- 0.08 m in the intervention group (ES 3.05, 95% CI 1.20 to 4.68; p<0.001).
• Distance between knees at touchdown decreased from 0.28 +/- 0.06 m to 0.16 +/- 0.03 m in the intervention group (ES -2.02, 95% CI -3.34 to -0.66; p=0.002).
• Mean thigh angular velocity increased from 388.7 +/- 17.6 deg/s to 411.7 +/- 9.2 deg/s (ES 1.13, 95% CI 0.14 to 2.08; p=0.029).
• Thigh angular retraction velocity increased from 301.8 +/- 52.4 deg/s to 354.9 +/- 50.3 deg/s (ES 1.44, 95% CI 0.33 to 2.51; p=0.009).
• Ground contact time decreased from 0.109 +/- 0.008 s to 0.102 +/- 0.008 s in the intervention group (ES -0.96, 95% CI -1.85 to -0.03; p<0.05).
• Sprint split times improved significantly in the intervention group for 0-5 m (p=0.013), 5-10 m (p=0.015), 10-15 m (p=0.049), 25-35 m (p=0.015), 0-10 m (p=0.011), 0-20 m (p=0.023), and 0-35 m (p=0.029); the control group showed no significant changes.

Limitations

• Very small sample size (7 intervention, 8 control) with all-male amateur athletes, limiting generalisability to female athletes and elite populations.
• No randomisation - athletes were assigned to groups by counterbalancing on initial sprint performance, introducing potential selection bias.
• Injury risk was inferred from kinematic changes aligned with theoretical models; no prospective hamstring injury data were collected, so injury prevention benefit remains unproven.
• The intervention group stopped their usual training during the 6 weeks while controls continued theirs, making it impossible to separate the effects of the specific program from general sprint training volume.

Why it matters

For patients

Athletes with a history of or predisposition to hamstring strain may benefit from targeting lumbopelvic control and sprint technique as part of a broader prevention strategy, though proof of actual injury reduction is still needed.

For clinicians

This pilot study provides early support for incorporating anterior pelvic tilt correction and front-side sprint mechanics drills into hamstring rehabilitation and prevention programs, particularly for athletes who demonstrate excessive anterior pelvic tilt at maximal speed.

For readers

A focused 6-week program can measurably alter how athletes carry their pelvis and legs during top-speed sprinting, and these mechanical changes coincide with faster sprint times, suggesting that posture-focused training has practical value beyond injury management.