Key Takeaway
Flywheel-based injury prevention programs reduced injury incidence and improved eccentric strength and balance in recreational athletes more effectively than bodyweight-only programs.
Summary
This randomized controlled trial by Monajati et al. (2021) compared the effectiveness of flywheel-based versus bodyweight-based injury prevention programs in recreational athletes. Participants were assigned to either a flywheel training group using isoinertial devices or a bodyweight exercise group performing conventional movement-based injury prevention routines over the study period. The flywheel group demonstrated superior improvements in eccentric strength, dynamic balance, and overall injury rates compared to the bodyweight group. The eccentric overload inherent to flywheel training appears to strengthen muscles and tendons at the lengthened positions where injuries most commonly occur — particularly during rapid deceleration, cutting, and landing movements. These results suggest that for recreational athletes looking to reduce soft-tissue injury risk, flywheel-based programs offer a meaningful advantage over traditional bodyweight prevention protocols, likely because they provide a more specific and progressive eccentric loading stimulus that better prepares tissues for the demands of sport.