Understand the cause of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury epidemic and some ways to help prevent it through training and warm-ups. In this session from the NSCA’s 2018 Coaches Conference, Bryan Mann, PhD, teaches simple additions or tweaks to your current programs to greatly reduce the ACL tear rate.

In this Bridge video, Loren Landow, from Landow Performance, demonstrates exercises and techniques of various plyometric movements for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) strength and injury prevention.

This article is the first of a continuing series on practical, evidence-based approaches to reducing the risk of injury while developing tactical strength and conditioning. The focus of this article is on how to reduce non-contact ACL rupture injuries from turf and artificial fields.

Read the NSCA’s commitment to safer youth sports as we endorse Project Play’s ACL Pledge, advancing evidence-based education and training to reduce injury risk.

The ACL Epidemic that Never Needed to Happen

The ACL Epidemic that Never Needed to Happen

An anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear is one of the most frequent injuries experienced by athletes of all levels. Because so many variables are at play, there is a great deal of controversy about how and why this occurs. In addition, there are various suggested appropriate steps to take to return to sport in the fastest and safest possible way. However, a major issue in injury recovery and return to sport practices is the lack of a gold-standard method or a consistent course of action that an athlete should undertake after suffering an ACL injury. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to review the literature to determine evidence-based methods for return to sport after ACL reconstruction and provide practical recommendations to guide the process.

From the NSCA’s 2020 Coaches Conference, Scott Schultz and Beau Smith show hands-on drills for prehabilitation of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) to reduce the risk of injury in sport. These drills include posterior chain warm-up exercises, plyometric and balance exercises, and proper landing mechanics to reinforce proper hip and knee positions.

This article focuses on interprofessional collaboration for optimizing athlete return to sport (RTS).