Quick Facts

• Targeted lower leg muscle training reduces ACL tears by up to 67 percent
• Every NBA player who tore their ACL shared the same dangerous landing pattern
• Simple heel raises and jump rope exercises train these overlooked injury-prevention muscles

Hidden muscles in your lower leg could slash your ACL injury risk by two-thirds, according to groundbreaking research from the Peak Performance Project (P3).

Sports scientist Dr. Marcus Elliott tracked nearly 400 NBA players over multiple years. His team analyzed millions of movement data points and found every player who tore their ACL landed the same way. They hit the ground on the outside of their foot first, with weight rolling inward.

This movement pattern puts the shin bone through what researcher Henry Abbott calls a “windshield wiper motion.” It places the knee in a vulnerable position for tears.

The solution targets muscles most people ignore. Beneath your visible calf muscles lie the soleus and posterior tibialis. Abbott calls these “under-recognized heroes” of injury prevention.

Simple Exercises Pack Major Protection

The research translates into two basic exercises. Single-leg heel raises target the posterior tibialis and soleus directly. Stand on one leg and slowly raise and lower yourself 15 times per side.

Follow immediately with jump rope training. Land on the balls of your feet while feeling force transfer to your glutes. This trains the neurological connection between muscles.

Prevention programs work. Soccer players who stuck to preventive training saw an 88 percent reduction in ACL injuries. Athletes who skipped prevention programs were twice as likely to tear their ACL.

The Numbers Tell the Story

ACL injuries strike 68.6 per 100,000 people annually in the United States. Over 400,000 ACL reconstructions happen each year. Female basketball players face injury rates up to four times higher than males.

Only 55 percent of people return to competitive sport after ACL reconstruction. Secondary injuries remain common, especially in younger athletes.

The knee accounts for 13.8 percent of all NBA injuries and 26.6 percent of time lost each season. Traditional rehab focuses on obvious muscles while ignoring the small stabilizers that matter most.

P3’s movement lab houses 134.4 terabytes of elite athlete data. More than 70 percent of NBA roster players have been assessed there.

Beyond Basketball Courts

The research applies to all sports and daily movement. Hip function ranks as the second biggest ACL injury contributor. Problems arise when the thigh bone rotates inward during movement.

This discovery challenges decades of injury prevention focus on larger muscle groups. The body’s most important defenses against knee and ankle injuries are small muscles typical workouts rarely target.

The findings promise better healthcare by revealing true causes of major sports injuries. Simple preventive exercises could save thousands from surgery and months of rehabilitation.

Read more: The Most Overlooked Muscles To Prevent Injury & Most People Don’t Train Them