Effect of neuromuscular training strategies on injury rates in adolescent males playing sport - a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Researchers looked at 18 randomised controlled trials involving over 8400 adolescent male athletes to see whether neuromuscular training, or movement and strength work designed to prevent injury, actually reduces how often these young athletes get hurt. They found that multifaceted warm-up programmes, which combine several different movement and strengthening elements, cut injury rates by about 31%. Strength training alone showed a much larger effect, though the evidence came from only a small group of athletes.

Functional Movement Screening training also appeared to reduce injuries. When they looked across all the studies, neuromuscular training appeared particularly effective at preventing non-contact injuries, the kind that happen without a collision or direct hit. The researchers noted that different types of training worked somewhat differently and that timing matters, so there is no single one-size-fits-all approach to injury prevention in this age group.

This study looked at whether specific training programmes can help young male athletes avoid injuries. Researchers combined results from 18 different studies and found that structured movement and strength training programmes do appear to reduce how often injuries happen.

The programmes that worked best combined several types of exercises rather than focusing on just one thing. The effect was quite noticeable for injuries that occur without impact, like a sudden muscle strain or ligament twist during running or jumping.

That said, the strength of the evidence varied depending on which type of training was used, and some programmes had more research behind them than others. While these findings are encouraging, what works best may depend on the specific sport and how the training is set up.

This is a summary of research, not medical advice. Talk to your own healthcare provider about anything affecting your care.

This meta-analysis synthesises moderate to high-certainty evidence that neuromuscular training strategies can reduce injury rates in adolescent male athletes, with particularly strong effects for non-contact mechanisms. Multifaceted warm-up programmes reduced injuries with moderate certainty across a large sample of over 7500 athletes, though heterogeneity was substantial (I-squared 80%), suggesting variation in how programmes were delivered or responded to.

Strength training showed a considerably larger effect size but was based on minimal data (72 participants), so current generalisability is limited. Functional Movement Screening training reduced injuries with high certainty over a 12-week period, though the sample was very small.

The inconclusive findings around eccentric thigh training suggest this modality warrants further investigation. Clinicians should recognise that effect sizes and evidence certainty vary across intervention types and that programme design and timing may influence outcomes; one protocol is unlikely to fit all contexts or all athletes.