A single sports season of neuromuscular training is not long enough for athletes to have retained any adjustments to landing technique three months later, according to a study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill presented in June at the ACSM meeting.
Researchers analyzed jump landing technique in two groups of youth soccer athletes who participated in neuromuscular training to prevent anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Both groups performed the same exercises. One group of 33 athletes trained for a single three-month season, while the other
group of 51 athletes trained for nine months. Each group was tested before training was initiated, immediately after it was discontinued, and after three additional months with no training.
Landing Error Scoring System scores decreased significantly between pre- and post-training tests in both groups. At the time of the retention test in the single-season training group, however, LESS scores had drifted back to pretraining levels. In the nine-month group, on the other hand, LESS scores at retention did not differ significantly from post-test scores.
