Before heel contact, hamstrings help do what?

Before heel contact, hamstrings help do what?

• A. Accelerate knee extension
• B. Decelerate knee extension for foot placement
• C. Produce ankle plantarflexion
• D. Raise the medial longitudinal arch

Answer: (B)

In late swing, the leg is swinging forward and the knee is extending toward heel strike. The hamstrings contract eccentrically to brake that knee extension, slowing the forward motion so the foot can land with controlled, precise placement at heel contact. This braking action protects the knee and helps establish a stable touchdown. The other options don’t match what the hamstrings do in this phase: accelerating knee extension would come from the quadriceps, plantarflexion is mainly from the calf muscles, and raising the medial arch involves the foot’s intrinsic muscles and ligaments, not the hamstrings.

In late swing, the leg is swinging forward and the knee is extending toward heel strike. The hamstrings contract eccentrically to brake that knee extension, slowing the forward motion so the foot can land with controlled, precise placement at heel contact. This braking action protects the knee and helps establish a stable touchdown. The other options don’t match what the hamstrings do in this phase: accelerating knee extension would come from the quadriceps, plantarflexion is mainly from the calf muscles, and raising the medial arch involves the foot’s intrinsic muscles and ligaments, not the hamstrings.