%0 Journal Article %A Johan Lahti %A Jurdan Mendiguchia %A Juha Ahtiainen %A Luis Anula %A Tuomas Kononen %A Mikko Kujala %A Anton Matinlauri %A Ville Peltonen %A Max Thibault %A Risto-Matti Toivonen %A Pascal Edouard %A Jean Benoit Morin %T Multifactorial individualised programme for hamstring muscle injury risk reduction in professional football: protocol for a prospective cohort study %D 2020 %R 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000758 %J BMJ Open Sport & Exercise Medicine %P e000758 %V 6 %N 1 %X Introduction Hamstring muscle injuries (HMI) continue to plague professional football. Several scientific publications have encouraged a multifactorial approach; however, no multifactorial HMI risk reduction studies have been conducted in professional football. Furthermore, individualisation of HMI management programmes has only been researched in a rehabilitation setting. Therefore, this study aims to determine if a specific multifactorial and individualised programme can reduce HMI occurrence in professional football.Methods and analysis We conducted a prospective cohort study over two seasons within the Finnish Premier League and compare the amount of HMI sustained during a control season to an intervention season. Injury data and sport exposure were collected during the two seasons (2019–2020), and a multifactorial and individualised HMI risk reduction programme will be implemented during intervention season (2020). After a hamstring screening protocol is completed, individual training will be defined for each player within several categories: lumbo-pelvic control, range of motion, posterior chain strength, sprint mechanical output and an additional non-individualised ‘training for all players’ category. Screening and respective updates to training programmes were conducted three times during the season. The outcome will be to compare if there is a significant effect of the intervention on the HMI occurrence using Cox regression analysis.Ethics and dissemination Approval for the injury and sport exposure data collection was obtained by the Saint-Etienne University Hospital Ethics Committee (request number: IORG0007394; record number IRBN322016/CHUSTE). Approval for the intervention season was obtained from the Central Finland healthcare District (request and record number: U6/2019). %U https://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/bmjosem/6/1/e000758.full.pdf