Nordic hamstring curl
{{Short description|An exercise for the hamstrings}}
The Nordic hamstring curl (NHC) is an exercise in which a person kneels with their feet fixed in position and lowers their body by extending the knee. It reduces hamstring injuries in athletes, and is commonly used as a form of injury prevention.{{cite journal |last1=Matthews |first1=Martyn J. |last2=Jones |first2=Paul |last3=Cohen |first3=Daniel |last4=Matthews |first4=Helen |title=The Assisted Nordic Hamstring Curl |journal=Strength & Conditioning Journal |date=2015 |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=84–87 |doi=10.1519/SSC.0000000000000084 |s2cid=71059489 |url=https://journals.lww.com/nsca-scj/Fulltext/2015/02000/The_Assisted_Nordic_Hamstring_Curl.13.aspx |issn=1524-1602|doi-access=free }}{{cite journal |last1=Siddle |first1=James |last2=Weaver |first2=Kristian |last3=Greig |first3=Matt |last4=Harper |first4=Damian |last5=Brogden |first5=Christopher Michael |title=A low-volume Nordic hamstring curl programme improves change of direction ability, despite no architectural, strength or speed adaptations in elite youth soccer players |journal=Research in Sports Medicine |date=2022 |volume=32 |issue=1 |pages=49–60 |doi=10.1080/15438627.2022.2079984|pmid=35642790 |s2cid=249235512 |doi-access=free }} NHC increases strength of the hamstrings and length of the fascia,{{cite journal |last1=Mjolsnes |first1=Roald |last2=Arnason |first2=Arni |last3=osthagen |first3=Tor |last4=Raastad |first4=Truls |last5=Bahr |first5=Roald |title=A 10-week randomized trial comparing eccentric vs. concentric hamstring strength training in well-trained soccer players |journal=Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports |date=2004 |volume=14 |issue=5 |pages=311–317 |doi=10.1046/j.1600-0838.2003.367.x|pmid=15387805 |s2cid=26691609 }}{{cite journal |last1=Pollard |first1=C. |last2=Opar |first2=D. |last3=Williams |first3=M. |last4=Bourne |first4=M. |last5=Timmins |first5=R. |title=Does intensity matter when using the Nordic hamstring exercise to improve strength and fascicle length? Or is the Razor hamstring curl a suitable alternative? |journal=Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport |date=2018 |volume=21 |pages=S34 |doi=10.1016/j.jsams.2018.09.078|s2cid=80723914 }} sprint speed, and change of direction ability.{{cite journal |last1=Siddle |first1=James |last2=Greig |first2=Matt |last3=Weaver |first3=Kristian |last4=Page |first4=Richard Michael |last5=Harper |first5=Damian |last6=Brogden |first6=Christopher Michael |title=Acute adaptations and subsequent preservation of strength and speed measures following a Nordic hamstring curl intervention: a randomised controlled trial |journal=Journal of Sports Sciences |date=2019 |volume=37 |issue=8 |pages=911–920 |doi=10.1080/02640414.2018.1535786|pmid=30369285 |s2cid=53104501 |url=http://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/3582/1/JSS%20Accepted%20Manuscript%20%28Pre%20Proof%29.pdf }} It is debated whether NHC is an open or closed chain exercise.{{cite journal |last1=Guex |first1=Kenny |last2=Millet |first2=Grégoire P. |title=Conceptual Framework for Strengthening Exercises to Prevent Hamstring Strains |journal=Sports Medicine |date=2013 |volume=43 |issue=12 |pages=1207–1215 |doi=10.1007/s40279-013-0097-y |pmid=24062275 |s2cid=207493059 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-013-0097-y |language=en |issn=1179-2035|url-access=subscription }} NHC has been compared to the razor hamstring curl.{{cite journal |last1=Pollard |first1=Christopher W. |last2=Opar |first2=David A. |last3=Williams |first3=Morgan D. |last4=Bourne |first4=Matthew N. |last5=Timmins |first5=Ryan G. |title=Razor hamstring curl and Nordic hamstring exercise architectural adaptations: Impact of exercise selection and intensity |journal=Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports |date=May 2019 |volume=29 |issue=5 |pages=706–715 |doi=10.1111/sms.13381 |pmid=30629773 |s2cid=58664338 |url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30629773/ |issn=1600-0838}}