Browsing by Author "Owen, Julian Andrew"

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Changes in Eccentric Hamstring Strength and Muscle Soreness in Younger and Older Male Football Players Following Match Play
(BMC, 2025) Kepir, Ersagun; Owen, Julian Andrew; Karatay, Gokhan Mehmet; Car, Bekir; Akaras, Esedullah; Yildirim, Necmiye Un; Yagiz, Gokhan
Introduction: Hamstring strains commonly occur late in football matches. Hamstring injury risk rises with age and fatigue. This study investigated eccentric hamstring strength and perceived hamstring soreness after a football match in younger and older players. Methods: Maximal eccentric hamstring strength and perceived soreness were assessed in younger (n = 11, 20.2 +/- 1.1 years, total playing time: 34.5 +/- 8.8 min) and older (n = 10, 27.4 +/- 3.7 years, total playing time: 44 +/- 10.5 min) professional male football players before and after a friendly match aimed at selecting the primary team for the upcoming season. A two-way mixed model ANOVA was employed for statistical analyses. Furthermore, Hedges' (adjusted) g effect sizes were calculated to evaluate the magnitude of effects. Results: The older group experienced significant reductions in absolute (-20 N +/- 38.5, g = 0.58, p = 0.027) and relative (-0.26 N/kg +/- 0.5, g = 0.43, p = 0.038) maximal eccentric hamstring strength, while younger group showed no changes (absolute: 3 N +/- 36.1, g = 0.07, p = 0.773; relative: -0.037 N/kg +/- 0.54, g = 0.07, p = 0.783). There was no statistically significant difference between groups for the absolute (p = 0.195; g = 0.45) and relative (p = 0.226, g = 0.43) eccentric strength changes. On the other hand, both groups reported increases in perceived hamstring soreness after the match (older: 29% +/- 14.1, p < 0.001; younger: 40% +/- 14.9, p < 0.001), with the younger group reporting more significantly higher soreness changes than the older group (11% +/- 17.2, p = 0.025). A significant negative association existed between age and eccentric strength changes (R = -0.447, R2 = 0.2, p = 0.007). Conclusions: The older group showed significant declines in eccentric hamstring strength after the match, with age as a predictor. Specialists should focus on enhancing eccentric strength in older players and monitor their recovery to minimise injury risk. Future psycho-physiological research should examine muscle soreness perceptions and force production in fatigued younger and older football players. The results must be interpreted with caution due to the shorter playing time, unaccounted match workload, and limited sample size. Moreover, future research is necessary, including workload and performance metrics over a longer play duration for each player, with a larger sample size to achieve more reliable conclusions.
The Effects of Resistance Training on Architecture and Volume of the Upper Extremity Muscles: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials and Meta-Analyses
(MDPI, 2022) Yagiz, Gokhan; Akaras, Esedullah; Kubis, Hans-Peter; Owen, Julian Andrew
To systematically review the effects of exercise on fascicle geometry and muscle size parameters of the upper extremity muscles, the CENTRAL, CINAHL, PubMed and OpenGrey databases were searched on 31 July 2021. Finally, 17 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included in this systematic review. High-intensity bench press training (g = 1.03) and 12 RM bench press exercises (g = 1.21) showed a large effect size on increasing pectoralis major muscle size. In the elbow extensors, large effects were reported for an increase in muscle size with isometric maximal voluntary co-contraction training (g = 1.97), lying triceps extension exercise (g = 1.25), and nonlinear periodised resistance training (g = 2.07). In addition, further large effects were achieved in the elbow flexors via traditional elbow flexion exercises (g = 0.93), concentric low-load forearm flexion-extension training (g = 0.94, g = 1), isometric maximal voluntary co-contraction training (g = 1.01), concentric low-load forearm flexion-extension training with blood flow restriction (g = 1.02, g = 1.07), and nonlinear periodised resistance training (g = 1.13, g = 1.34). Regarding the forearm muscles, isometric ulnar deviation training showed a large effect (g = 2.22) on increasing the flexor carpi ulnaris and radialis muscle size. Results show that these training modalities are suitable for gaining hypertrophy in the relevant muscles with at least four weeks of training duration. Future RCTs should investigate the effects of exercise modalities on the triceps brachii fascicle geometry, the infraspinatus muscle thickness (MT) and the subscapular MT due to their associations with sports performance.
Hamstring Muscle Stiffness in Athletes with and without Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction History: A Retrospective Study
(MDPI, 2024) Kepir, Ersagun; Demiral, Furkan; Akaras, Esedullah; Paksoy, Ahmet Emre; Aktas, Buket Sevindik; Cankaya, Bahar Yilmaz; Owen, Julian Andrew
Introduction: Sports requiring sprinting, jumping, and kicking tasks frequently lead to hamstring strain injuries (HSI). One of the structural risk factors of HSI is the increased passive stiffness of the hamstrings. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury history is associated with a 70% increase in the incidence of HSI, according to a recent meta-analysis. The same report recommended that future research should concentrate on the relationships between the HSI risk factors. Hence, the present study aimed to retrospectively compare changes in the passive stiffness of the hamstrings in athletes with and without ACL reconstruction history. Methods: Using ultrasound-based shear-wave elastography, the mid-belly passive muscle stiffness values of the biceps femoris long head, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus muscles were assessed and compared amongst athletes with and without a history of ACL reconstruction. Results: There were no significant differences in the biceps femoris long head (injured leg (IL): 26.19 +/- 5.28 KPa, uninjured contralateral (UL): 26.16 +/- 7.41 KPa, control legs (CL): 27.64 +/- 5.58 KPa; IL vs. UL: p = 1; IL vs. CL: p = 1; UL vs. CL: p = 1), semimembranosus (IL: 24.35 +/- 5.58 KPa, UL: 24.65 +/- 8.35 KPa, CL: 22.83 +/- 5.67 KPa; IL vs. UL: p = 1; IL vs. CL: p = 1; UL vs. CL, p = 1), or semitendinosus (IL: 22.45 +/- 7 KPa, UL: 25.52 +/- 7 KPa, CL: 22.54 +/- 4.4 KPa; IL vs. UL: p = 0.487; IL vs. CL: p = 1; UL vs. CL, p = 0.291) muscle stiffness values between groups. Conclusions: The passive mid-muscle belly stiffness values of the biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscles did not significantly differ between previously injured and uninjured athletes; therefore, further assessment for other muscle regions of hamstrings may be necessary. To collect more comprehensive data related to the structural changes that may occur following ACL reconstructions in athletes, a future study should examine the passive stiffness of wider muscle regions from origin to insertion.
Heterogeneous Effects of Eccentric Training and Nordic Hamstring Exercise on the Biceps Femoris Fascicle Length Based on Ultrasound Assessment and Extrapolation Methods: A Systematic Review of Randomised Controlled Trials with Meta-Analyses
(Public Library Science, 2021) Yagiz, Gokhan; Akaras, Esedullah; Kubis, Hans-Peter; Owen, Julian Andrew
Objective To systematically review the effects of eccentric training based on biceps femoris fascicle length using ultrasound assessment and extrapolation methods. Design Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Data sources CENTRAL, CINAHL Plus with full text, PubMed and OpenGrey databases were searched on 6 July 2021. Eligibility criteria for selecting studies Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) lasting at least four weeks and presenting data about biceps femoris (BF) fascicle length (FL) as an outcome. Method Searching databases, screening studies, performing risk of bias assessments and determining the level of evidence (LoE) for each meta-analysis were applied during the study. PRISMA 2020 statement and Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions were used as the guidelines of this systematic review. Results Eight randomised controlled trials included in meta-analyses. Based on the very low and low LoE, eccentric training has small (g = 0.29, 95% CI [-0.26, 0.85]), moderate (g = 0.72, 95% CI [0.17, 1.28]) and large (g = 2.20, 95% CI [0.99, 3.41]) effect sizes (ES) based on manual linear extrapolation (MLE), panoramic ultrasound scanning and trigonometric equation methods, respectively. Similarly, Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) has small (g = 0.23 [-1.02, 1.47]), small (g = 0.38, 95% CI [-0.50, 1.27]) and large (g = 1.98, 95% CI [0.52, 3.44]) ES based on the MLE, panoramic ultrasound scanning and trigonometric equation methods, respectively. Conclusion ES of eccentric training, including NHE, vary between the MLE, panoramic ultrasound scanning, and equation methods. The relevant scientific community should have a consensus on measurement standards of the BF FL measurements. Further studies can be conducted to compare the effects of eccentric training based on the ultrasound assessment and extrapolation methods.