Motor imagery during action observation increases eccentric hamstring force: an acute non-physical intervention.
Rehabilitation professionals typically use motor imagery (MI) or action observation (AO) to increase physical strength for injury prevention and recovery. Here we compared hamstring force gains for MI during AO (AO + MI) against two pure MI training groups.



Over a 3-week intervention physically fit adults imagined Nordic hamstring exercises in both legs and synchronized this with a demonstration of the same action (AO + MI), or they purely imagined this action (pure MI), or imagined upper-limb actions (pure MI-control). Eccentric hamstring strength gains were assessed using ANOVAs, and magnitude-based inference (MBI) analyses determined the likelihood of clinical/practical benefits for the interventions.



Hamstring strength only increased significantly following AO + MI training. This effect was lateralized to the right leg, potentially reflecting a left-hemispheric dominance in motor simulation. MBIs: The right leg within-group treatment effect size for AO + MI was moderate and likely beneficial (d = 0.36), and only small and possibly beneficial for pure MI (0.23). Relative to pure MI-control, effects were possibly beneficial and moderate for AO + MI (0.72), although small for pure MI (0.39).



Since hamstring strength predicts injury prevalence, our findings point to the advantage of combined AO + MI interventions, over and above pure MI, for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Implications for rehabilitation While hamstring strains are the most common injury across the many sports involving sprinting and jumping, Nordic hamstring exercises are among the most effective methods for building eccentric hamstring strength, for injury prevention and rehabilitation. In the acute injury phase it is crucial not to overload damaged soft tissues, and so non-physical rehabilitation techniques are well suited to this phase. Rehabilitation professionals typically use either motor imagery or action observation techniques to safely improve physical strength, but our study shows that motor imagery during observation of Nordic hamstring exercises offers a safe, affordable and more effective way to facilitate eccentric hamstring strength gains, compared with pure motor imagery. Despite using bilateral imagery and observation training conditions in the present study, strength gains were restricted to the right leg, potentially due to a left hemispheric dominance in motor simulation.
a Department of Psychology, Sport and Exercise , Teesside University , Middlesbrough , United Kingdom.
Matthew
0000-0003-1062-3490
M
Scott
a Department of Psychology, Sport and Exercise , Teesside University , Middlesbrough , United Kingdom.
Stephen
S
Taylor
a Department of Psychology, Sport and Exercise , Teesside University , Middlesbrough , United Kingdom.
Paul
0000-0002-9432-0675
P
Chesterton
b Department of Psychology , Lancaster University , Lancaster , United Kingdom.
Stefan
0000-0003-4627-3410
S
Vogt
a Department of Psychology, Sport and Exercise , Teesside University , Middlesbrough , United Kingdom.
Daniel Lloyd
0000-0003-2436-7694
DL
Eaves
D000328:Adult; D023801:Directly Observed Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D000070633:Hamstring Muscles / Q000293:injuries / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D019018:Imagery, Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function; D055070:Resistance Training / Q000379:methods; D000066908:Simulation Training / Q000379:methods*; D006113:United Kingdom; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology
Action simulation; Nordic hamstring eccentric exercises; hamstring strain injury; mental practice; motor rehabilitation; observational learning