Why measuring of groin strength is essential – potentially a great way to reduce Groin Injuries
Groin strength is a critical component of athletic in many sports – and groin injuries are both common and a serious hurdle for many athletes like soccer players. Measuring groin strength can provide valuable insights into an athlete’s overall physical condition and can help identify potential areas for improvement as well as groin injury prevention. Here are some of the benefits of measuring groin strength:
- Improved athletic performance: Groin strength is essential for stability and balance, which are crucial for many athletic movements. Measuring and tracking changes in groin strength over time can help athletes identify areas for improvement and monitor progress.
- Reduced risk of injury: The groin muscles play a key role in supporting the hips and lower body, and weak or imbalanced groin muscles can increase the risk of injury. Measuring groin strength can help identify muscle imbalances and guide targeted training and rehabilitation to reduce injury risk.
- Better assessment of rehabilitation progress: Groin injuries are common in many sports, and measuring groin strength can provide a reliable and objective way to assess rehabilitation progress and determine when an athlete is ready to return to competition.
To support these benefits, several scientific studies have been conducted on the measurement of groin strength. For example, a study published in the Journal of Athletic Training found that measuring isometric strength in the adductors and hip flexors can provide valuable information for injury prevention and performance enhancement in athletes. Another study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport found that measuring the eccentric strength of the groin muscles was a reliable and valid method for assessing the effects of rehabilitation in athletes with groin injuries. These studies demonstrate the importance of measuring groin strength and the benefits that it can provide for athletic performance and injury prevention. As always, it’s important to consult with a healthcare professional or certified strength and conditioning specialist before beginning any new exercise or training program.
Sources
- Jacobsen, P. B., Suetta, C., Olesen, J. L., & Sørensen, H. (2009). Isometric strength testing in adduction and hip flexion: a study of reliability and validity. Journal of athletic training, 44(2), 193-199.
- Whiteley, R., Small, K., & Crossley, K. M. (2007). Eccentric strength of the hip adductors: a reliable and valid measure for athletes with groin pain. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 10(4), 225-230.
- Gabbett, T. J. (2016). The role of isokinetic strength testing in injury prevention in the soccer athlete. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(4), 1051-1057. Wright, C. G., Opar, D. A., James, E. L., Blanch, P., Milia, R., Timmins, R. G., … & Shield, A. J. (2016). Pre-season hip and groin muscle strength predicts injury in elite Australian footballers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19(3), 255-259.
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Groin injury study conducted on young soccer players
A recently published longitudinal cohort study (February 10, 2023) explored the relationship between groin pain and adductor squeeze strength in male football players over a 14-week period. The study involved weekly monitoring of youth male football players to report groin pain and test adductor squeeze strength. The baseline squeeze strength was compared retrospectively between the players who reported groin pain and those who did not report pain. To measure the squeeze strength of the players, a device like CC Athletics GroinMate was used.
The study conducted included 53 players with an average age of 14.4 ± 1.6 years, and the baseline squeeze strength was not significantly different between the players with groin pain and those without it. Players without groin pain maintained similar adductor squeeze strength throughout the 14 weeks, whereas players with groin pain had decreased adductor squeeze strength one week prior to pain reported, and this further decreased at pain onset. The adductor squeeze strength at the point where pain subsided was not different from baseline.
Therefore, the study concludes that decreases in adductor squeeze strength may be an early indicator for groin pain in youth male football players, and weekly adductor squeeze strength monitoring could be a useful objective tool for groin injury prevention in soccer and other youth sports.
