“I squatted, and I couldn’t get
up.”1 Female athletes tend to complain of pain with deep squats. They
squat down as far as possible until the hamstrings make contact with the calves
and cannot get back up. This is because deep squatting puts strain on the collateral (MCL & LCL)
and cruciate (ACL & PCL) ligaments.1 A deep squat is when the
knees are flexed between 130-150 degrees, affecting anteroposterior and
mediolateral knee instability.1
Practical applications would
suggest that the PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) is stressed during deep
squatting due to the "jacking
apart".2 This is a movement
of the center of rotation from the knee joint to the point of contact between
the hamstrings and calves.1 The LCL (lateral collateral ligament) and
MCL (medial collateral ligament) are subject to injury and stretching during
deep squatting.1 According to Klein, the external rotation of the
femur during deep squats also makes the medial menisci subject to injury, due
to the compression of the meniscus between the tibial and femoral condyles.1
Some tests showed that increasing the flexion of the knee increases the chance
of knee ligament ruptures.3 If deep squats are causing such injuries
to a number of female athletes or athletes in general, why is it a continued
practice in weight rooms?
No comments:
Post a Comment