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The Effect of Static Stretching on Phases of Sprint Performance in Elite Soccer Players
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine which phase of a 30-m sprint (acceleration and/or maximal velocity) was affected by preperformance static stretching. Data were collected from 20 elite female soccer players. On two nonconsecutive days, participants were randomly assigned to either the stretch or no-stretch condition. On the first day, the athletes in the no-stretch condition completed a standard warm-up protocol and then performed three 30-m sprints, with a 2-minute rest between each sprint. The athletes in the stretch condition performed the standard warm-up protocol, completed a stretching routine of the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles, and then immediately performed three 30-m sprints, also with a 2-minute rest between each sprint. On the second day, the groups were reversed, and identical procedures were followed. One-way repeated-measures analyses of variance revealed a statistically significant difference in acceleration (p < 0.0167), maximal-velocity sprint time (p < 0.0167), and overall sprint time (p < 0.0167) between the stretch and no-stretch conditions. Static stretching before sprinting resulted in slower times in all three performance variables. These findings provide evidence that static stretching exerts a negative effect on sprint performance and should not be included as part of the preparation routine for physical activity that requires sprinting.
... O aumento na amplitude de movimento também pode estar associado à diminuição da viscosidade do tecido conjuntivo, além da inibição nervosa dos órgãos de Golgi (Morse et al., 2008;Alter, 1996). De acordo com Hill (1968) Com relação aos efeitos do alongamento na velocidade, ao analisar as respostas imediatas, é evidente que o alongamento estático apresentou um impacto agudo negativo no desempenho da corrida na maioria dos estudos analisados (Sayers et al., 2008;Gonçalves et al., 2013). No que se refere ao efeito crônico na velocidade, embora tenha havido discordância, metade dos estudos analisados também apontaram para resultados negativos com a aplicação de alongamentos estáticos (Gonçalves et al., 2013;Haddad et al., 2014). ...
... Quando consideramos a perspectiva do alongamento dinâmico nos testes de corrida, tanto em termos de efeitos a curto prazo quanto a longo prazo, os resultados mostram-se distintos, com metade dos estudos indicando efeitos negativos e metade positivos (Asgari et al., 2023;Haddad et al., 2014;Gonçalves et al., 2013). Torna-se relevante destacar que houve variação nas distâncias dos testes de sprint, abrangendo distâncias de 20, 30 e 50 metros, sendo um fator que pode ter contribuído para a variação nos resultados observados (Sayers et al., 2008;Gonçalves et al., 2013;Haddad et al., 2014;Rodriguez et al., 2016;Melo et al., 2021;Asgari et al., 2023). ...
... A partir dos resultados encontrados nestas investigações, a velocidade dos atletas por meio de testes de sprint, demonstram uma redução no desempenho em protocolos com alongamentos estáticos (Sayers et al., 2008;Gonçalves et al., 2013;Haddad et al., 2014). Esses achados podem ser explicados por Fowles et al. (2000), que indicaram um impacto negativo do alongamento estático na ativação das unidades motoras, contribuindo para a redução na capacidade de força máxima após exercícios de alongamento. ...
Os alongamentos são comumente empregados antes da prática esportiva, visando o aprimoramento do desempenho. No entanto, as evidências são divergentes sobre os benefícios para o desempenho esportivo. Assim, o presente estudo objetivou sistematizar os principais achados sobre os efeitos de diferentes protocolos de alongamento dos isquiotibiais no desempenho de jogadores de futebol. Trata-se de uma revisão sistemática, que reuniu artigos científicos das bases de dados eletrônicas PubMed/Medline, ISI Web of Science e Scopus. Os artigos selecionados foram da língua inglesa, tendo como descritores: "stretching", "hamstring" e "performance", sendo cruzados a modalidade esportiva “soccer”. O operador booleano “and” foi empregado para limitar a pesquisa. No estudo foram considerados ensaios clínicos, ensaios clínicos cruzados e ensaios clínicos aleatórios, que abordaram os efeitos dos alongamentos de isquiotibiais no desempenho do futebol, em atletas amadores e de alto rendimento, sem restrição de datas. Inicialmente, 107 registros foram identificados. Após análise de títulos e resumos, 70 foram excluídos. A remoção de duplicatas reduziu para 19 artigos, e após análise detalhada, 13 estudos foram selecionados para a revisão. Os alongamentos mais prevalentes dos protocolos nas investigações foram os estáticos (92,31%) e dinâmicos (30,77%). As principais medidas de desempenho abordadas nos estudos incluíram flexibilidade, velocidade, força e salto. Conclui-se que de forma geral os alongamentos aprimoram a flexibilidade. Além disso, a maioria dos estudos evidenciaram que os alongamentos estáticos promovem efeitos negativos para a velocidade, enquanto os efeitos dos alongamentos dinâmicos permanecem inconclusivos. Em relação à força, a maioria dos estudos demonstraram que ambos os tipos de alongamentos, estáticos e dinâmicos, não interferem no desempenho do futebol. Por fim, a influência dos alongamentos estáticos no salto demonstrou ser variável, enquanto a maioria dos estudos que analisaram alongamentos dinâmicos demonstram não haver influência nessa capacidade, sendo que, em alguns estudos, foram observados efeitos positivos na impulsão.
... A great amount of studies related to stretching and the acute effect that they cause to the performance of different athletic groups have been recently published, trying to find out which kind of stretching is the most suitable for each sport (1)(2)(3)(4)7,8,11,12,(19)(20)(21)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)28,(29)(30)(31). ...
... Nevertheless, there are studies, where SS and DS are included, that suggest that the DS(s) causes a greater impact on the ROM (3). Currently, it has been proven in many studies that the SS(s) has a negative effect on linear sprint (7,12,23,27), vertical jump (12,27), balance (8), and agility (8,24) performance because of a reduction on the peak torque (31), contraction velocity (31), power peak (27) reduction in sensitivity of the muscle spindles (6,7), causing a decrease in the muscle activation, and nerve impulses (7,24). ...
... The SS causes a lower performance because of decreased muscle activation and less musculotendinous stiffness, although it is also likely that these negative effects are due to the longlasting SS, meaning an increase of muscular pain and muscle damage indicated by a high level of creatine kinase in the blood (7,24,27). However, there are some articles in the literature that show how the SS do not produce the decreased performance (11,19,26,29), whereas other studies conclude that the DS is more beneficial than the SS (1)(2)(3)(4)7,8,11,12,19,(23)(24)(25)(26), there are improvements on sprint (7,12,19,23), agility (2,8,19,24,26), vertical jump (12,25), and balance (8) because of improved post-activation potentiation (1,11,19,24), stimulation of the nervous system (8,19), increasing the sensitivity of nerve receptors and increasing the speed of nerve impulses (19). ...
Ló pez Mariscal, S, Sánchez Garcia, V, Fernández-García, JC, and Sáez de Villarreal, E. Acute effects of ballistic vs. passive static stretching involved in a prematch warm-up on vertical jump and linear sprint performance in soccer players. J Strength Cond Res 35(1): 147-153, 2021-The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of introducing passive static and ballistic stretching in a standard soccer match warm-up. The variables addressed were the counter movement jump (CMJ), Abalakov jump, and the 40-m linear sprint. The sample was composed of 33 male subjects , divided into 2 age groups. U16 and adult players formed the groups, to cross check whether there were differences between them. Each group was further subdivided into 2 groups regarding the type of stretching carried out during the stretching phase. Before the warm-up, the tests previously described were assessed. In the experimental phase, standard stretching was carried out, consisting of an initial phase in which players had to execute continuous running; a general phase in which players had to make articulate moves; a technical phase in which players had to execute exercises with the ball; a 5 vs. 5 small-sided game was carried out during the tactical phase; and in the final phase, activation exercises and sprints were carried out by the players. Eventually, the same variables were assessed again once the warm-up was finished. There were no statistically significant differences between the 2 types of stretching included in the prematch warm-up. It can be concluded that ballistic and passive static stretching (,10 seconds) did not cause, under these circumstances , any effect in the assessed variables related to soccer performance (linear sprint, CMJ, and Abalakov). This has to be considered by coaches when devising soccer-related warm-ups.
... Dynamic stretching a bit weaker effects of static in terms of lowering the thresh-old of sensitivity receptors and muscle relaxation (Ibid.). In previous studies, the fact that static stretching leads to a decrease in strength and knee extensor vertical jump (Costa et al., 2010;Yama-guchi and Ishii, 2005), as well as the negative impact on speed of sprint, even if it was combined with dynamic expansion and general heating (Sim et al., 2009;Winchester et al., 2008). Also, Šimić et al. (2013) suggest avoiding static stretching during warm-up. ...
... Results obtained in this study are presented in tables and providing requested information about issues research. Results from Table 1 show that average value of running results on particular segments range expected for this population (Lorger, Ovčarić and Švigir-Potroško, (2010), Babić, Blažević and Radetić-Paić (2010). The values of the KS test were considerably higher than 0.05 which indicate normality schedule data and provides further application of parametric statistics. ...
... The values of the KS test were considerably higher than 0.05 which indicate normality schedule data and provides further application of parametric statistics. (2010). The values of KS test are also significantly more than 0.05 which indicates normality schedule data and provides further application of parametric statistics. ...
When we look at the analysis of results obtained by testing of students, it can be concluded that the aim of this study was realized, and was referred to attempt to show possible differences in exercise of sprint running, by using two different protocols expansion in introductory- preparatory part of training. By analysis of results revealed that there is a difference in achievement of sprinting after applying two different stretching protocols (Tables 4 and 5). Test results show that advantage of sections 20, 40 and 60 meters, where applicable sprinting, a dynamic method of static stretching. Comparing the results obtained in tests for assessing level of speed, after applying two methods of stretching (dynamic and static stretching), in this study it was shown that dynamic method devel-opment of flexibility can contribute to performance of sprinting at the highest level, which is only confirmed a previous studies that have dealt with similar issues. Accordingly, in sports where speed is represented in all its forms and where it exerts more than 20 meters dynamic stretching method can be recommended as an advantage over the static method of stretching. This study and studies of similar character may be of help to sports professionals and coaches in planning and programming training process - in selection of exercises and activities to raise speed level at any time in training process.
... Another very popular preconditioning performed by athletes and physically active subjects is stretching 2 . For instance, static and ballistic stretching techniques have also been used acutely during pre-exercise routines as a mean to further maximize flexibility 2,9,10 . However, there is no strong evidence to indicate a protective effect of stretching on injury incidence 2,11,12 . ...
... The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 3 distinct pre-exercise interventions on acute neuromuscular performance in recreational soccer players. The main results were: a) a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in The initial hypothesis that stretching would induce acute neuromuscular impairment was based on the results of previous studies 9,14,16,20 . A performance decrement observed post-stretching has been widely explained by a combination of mechanical and neural factors. ...
... Regarding neuromuscular aspects, static stretching results in a longer and more compliant musculotendinous unit leading to a decrease in motor unit activation 16 . Static stretching-induced performance decrement is particularly evident in maximal and explosive muscular efforts that play an essential role in a number of individual and team sports 9,10,16,[20][21][22] . ...
Pre-exercises interventions are frequently implemented in order to maximize athletic performance. In this sense, the aim of this study was to evaluated the effect of three distinct pre-exercise interventions on acute neuromuscular performance in recreational soccer players: 1) parallel squat; 2) static stretching; and 3) ballistic stretching. After all interventions, participants performed a flexibility evaluation (sit-and-reach-test), followed by a squat jump, a counter-movement jump and a 30 meter-sprint test. A one-way analysis of variance revealed: a) a significant decrease in jumping performance was induced by both Stretching conditions when compared to the parallel squat intervention; b) a significant increase in lower limb flexibility after both stretching interventions when compared to parallel squat. In conclusion, it is suggested that a pre-exercise intervention comprised of stretching exercises can acutely increase flexibility, while impairing jump performance in recreational athletes.
... Several studies have demonstrated that an acute bout of static stretching decreases maximal isometric strength (7-28%) (1,11,13,33), isokinetic power (3-5%) (7,9,26), vertical jump performance (4-10%) (27,28,38,43), and sprint velocity (1.2-2.1%) (36,42). Conversely, the acute effects of ballistic stretching on muscle force and power production remain unclear. ...
... Conversely, the acute effects of ballistic stretching on muscle force and power production remain unclear. Studies have reported ballistic stretching reduces (by 8%) (34) or has no effect on maximal isometric strength (2,3,19,36), whereas others have shown ballistic stretching decreases (by 2%) (37) or preserves CMJ power (14), or increases CMJ height (;3 cm) (41). Nevertheless, coaches often prefer ballistic over static stretching before exercise because it is believed to preserve neuromuscular excitability, whereas static stretching has been shown to reduce stretch reflex sensitivity and motor unit activation (1). ...
... Similarly, although ballistic and static stretching did not affect CMJ measures at the level of statistical significance, both marginally impaired CMJ performance by 1-5%, which may be meaningful in elite levels of competition. Based on the current evidence from this study and others that show deficits in performance after stretching (1,7,9,11,13,(26)(27)(28)33,36,38,42,43), strength and conditioning professionals should avoid prescribing lower-extremity static stretching immediately before short duration activities when maximal power is required from the lower extremities, or, should separate stretching from competition by at least 20 minutes to minimize the adverse effects on performance. ...
Gesel, FJ, Morenz, EK, Cleary, CJ, and LaRoche, DP. Acute effects of static and ballistic stretching on muscle-tendon unit stiffness, work absorption, strength, power, and vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2020-The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of static and ballistic stretching on muscle-tendon unit (MTU) stiffness, work absorption (WA), strength, power, and countermovement vertical jump (CMJ) performance. Using a within-subject design, 22 subjects performed 3 separate experimental conditions: no-stretching, ballistic stretching, and static stretching for the quadriceps, hamstrings, gluteus, and plantarflexor muscle groups. After each condition, plantarflexor MTU stiffness, WA, isometric strength, and power were measured, followed by a CMJ on a force plate to obtain peak center of mass velocity, peak power, rate of force development, peak force, work, and vertical jump height. Repeated measures analysis of variance with Bonferroni corrected post-hoc tests were used to detect differences between conditions for plantarflexor and CMJ measures. An acute bout of static stretching significantly reduced WA by 12% (p 5 0.049) and isokinetic power by 8% (p 5 0.047) compared with the control condition but ballistic stretching did not (p 5 0.624, p 5 0.692, respectively). Significant positive correlations existed between MTU stiffness, WA, strength, and power (r = 0.64-0.77, p < 0.001). Despite significant positive correlations between MTU stiffness, WA, and CMJ performance measures (r = 0.40-0.72, p < 0.001), neither static nor ballistic stretching affected CMJ performance (p. 0.05). These data show that stiffer MTU that absorb more work (energy) are associated with greater muscle force, power, and CMJ performance. Although an acute bout of static stretching impaired MTU passive-elastic properties and power production, neither static nor ballistic stretching impaired isometric strength or CMJ performance.
... This may be due to long medical and coaching traditions that have recommended PES, as well as many anecdotal reports of injuries having occurred on the rare occasions when previously injury-free basketball players neglected to stretch before exercise. However, a number of recent findings indicate that incorporation of static stretches in a warm-up routine decreases speed [10,11,18,21,24], strength [12], power [25], jump performance [7,8,13,16,20,23,25] and agility [15]. It is evident that there is a large gap between the results of the research and its application by athletes and coaches. ...
... To our knowledge, no other authors have examined the effects of different stretching volume on fitness performance of young basketball players. The decrease in motor performance skills linked to static and PNF stretching has been shown in a number of times in adults [6,7,10,15,18,21,23,24,25] and in children and adolescents [8,9,16,22]. However, the effects of different stretching volume involved in these studies have not been examined. ...
... Also, the high-volume protocols showed a significantly greater impact than the low-volume protocols. Previously, it has been shown that sprint time (acceleration and velocity) decreased when the warm-up included static stretching [11,18,21,22]. Andrejić [2] studied the effects of static stretching on subsequent repeated sprint ability (RSA) and change of direction speed (CODS) performance. ...
The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of low-and high-volume static and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on fitness performance in young basketball players. Twenty-three healthy male basketball players (age, 13.6 ± 0.5 years old; weight, 60 ± 8.4 kg; height, 174.7 ± 7.5 cm; BMI, 19.6 ± 1.6; and basketball training experience 2.5 ± 0.5 years) performed 5 different warm-up protocols in randomly assigned order: (a) no stretching (NS), (b) low-volume static stretching (LVSS), (c) high-volume static stretching (HVSS), (d) low-volume PNF stretching (LVPNF), and (d) high-volume PNF stretching (HVPNF). The low-and high-volume protocols were completed with 2 and 4 sets of stretches respectively. Analysis of the data revealed that vertical jump, long jump and 4x15m standing start running performance declined significantly following LVSS, HVSS, LVPNF, HVPNF as compared to NS (p<0.05). Also, vertical jump, long jump and 4 x 15m standing start running performance were significantly reduced following HVSS as compared to LVSS (p<0.05). Vertical jump and 4 x 15m standing start running performance were significantly reduced following HVPNF as compared to LVPNF (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in flexibility following the 5 warm-up treatments. It appears that pre-performance static and PNF stretches (especially if they are high in volume) may negatively affect motor performance skills in young basketball players.
... Mesmo diante deste fato, esta prática ainda permanece extremamente popular no cotidiano de inúmeras modalidades esportivas, com destaque para o futebol. Característica importante para determinadas ações dentro dessa modalidade [6], o desempenho de força explosiva, expresso por meio de corridas de alta intensidade e curta distância (sprint), também parece ser reduzido como conseqüência da aplicação dos exercícios de alongamento estático [7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. Algumas dessas investigações [7,9,12] [15], as variáveis que expressam valores de confi abilidade absoluta, tais como erro típico da medida (ETM) e os limites de concordância de Bland-Altman, são mais apropriadas para determinar a precisão das medidas e, consequentemente, para interpretação de achados associados a elas. ...
... De fato, as rotinas aplicadas na maior parte dos estudos apresentados anteriormente são muito semelhantes àquelas adotadas no cotidiano de diferentes práticas esportivas. Séries simples e múltiplas de exercícios de alongamento com duração de 20 s [8,14] e 30 s [10,11,13] parecem exercer efeitos discretos, contudo signifi cativos, sobre o desempenho do sprint. ...
... Considerando a importância da rápida produção de força/ potência na fase de aceleração da curva de velocidade em ações que envolvem alta velocidade e curta duração, é provável que o efeito deletério induzido pelas duas diferentes rotinas de alongamento estático adotadas na presente investigação estejam associadas à fase inicial da tarefa. Sayers et al. [10] corroboram nossa especulação uma vez que relataram que exercícios de alongamento estático exercem efeito negativo sobre a fase de aceleração do sprint. Diante da ausência de informações associadas à confi abilidade absoluta da medida adotada por estas investigações, a inferência dos achados tem de ser considerada com cautela, uma vez que não é possível determinar se as pequenas alterações percentuais nos tempos relatados nos diversos estudos foram consequentes do efeito induzido pelo alongamento ou do erro associado à medida desta variável. ...
O presente estudo investigou os efeitos de duas rotinas de alongamento estático de curta duração – 15 s e 30 s – sobre o desempenho do sprint de jogadores de futebol profissional. Vinte e cinco atletas, alocados aleatoriamente em dois grupos, foram submetidos ao teste de velocidade de 50 metros (TV50) em duas condições. Na condição CON, o TV50 foi determinado logo após uma rotina de aquecimento típica da prática do futebol. Na condição AE, além do aquecimento específico, o TV50 foi precedido por rotinas de alongamento estático com duração de 15 s (Gr15) ou 30 s (Gr30). O TV50 demonstrou alta confiabilidade com CCI de 0,960 (P = 0,000), erro técnico da medida de 0,10 s e 1,62 % e ausência de erro heterocedástico. Uma ANOVA com medidas repetidas não identificou interação grupo x teste, porém, encontrou aumentos significativos no TV50 de ambos os grupos (Gr15: ↑7,5 %, p = 0,000; Gr30: ↑6,8%, p = 0,000). Os resultados sugerem que rotinas de alongamento, mesmo de curta duração, realizadas antes de uma corrida de velocidade, promovem uma diminuição no desempenho. Sendo assim, da mesma maneira como nas tarefas nas quais a força/potência são variáveis determinantes do desempenho, o alongamento estático não deve preceder atividades em que a velocidade é uma das variáveis principais ao desempenho de excelência.Palavras-chave: exercícios de alongamento muscular, flexibilidade, potência, esportes
... Although players tend to apply the static stretching to improve flexibility and performance and to prevent injury risks (Van Gyn, 1984;Shellock & Prentice,1985;Safran, et al, 1989), as mentioned above, some researchers however, find decreases in the vertical jump and the power of the lower limbs (Faigenbaum et al., 2006;Fletcher & Monte-Colombo, 2010;Pearce, Latella & Kidgell,2011), the muscle strength (Fowles, Sale and McDougall, 2000;Power, Behm, Cahill, Carroll and Young, 2004), and the sprint (Chaouachi, Chamari, Wong, Castagna, Chaouachi, Moussa-Chamari and Behm, 2008;Fletcher & Jones, 2004;Fletcher & Monte-Colombo, 2010;Gelen, 2010;Needman et al., 2009;Sayers, Farley, Fuller, Jubenville, Caputo, 2008;Winchester, Nelson, Landin, Young, Schexnayder 2008;Papadopoulos, Ispirlidis, Kyranoudis, Alipasali, Famisis, Giannakos, Galazoulas, Zakas, 2015;Famisis,2015) as opposed to the muscle elongation with dynamic way that seems to improve the performance on power efforts (Faigenbaum et al., 2006;Fletcher & Monte-Colombo, 2010;Needman et al., 2009;Galazoulas,2017), on muscle strength (Yamaguchi & Ishii, 2005) Vasileiou, Michailidis, Gourtsoulis, Kyranoudis και Zakas, 2013;Winchester et al., 2008;Famisis, 2015;Galazoulas,2017). However, the majority of these researches, examined the effect of static and dynamic stretching protocols, in which no kinetic activity is incorporated after static or dynamic elongation of the muscles in the participants. ...
... The results of the present study on worsening of sprint immediately after static stretching agree with corresponding researches that they show similar findings (Fletcher & Jones, 2004;Fletcher & Monte-Colombo, 2010;Gelen, 2010;Needman et al. 2009;Nelson et al. 2005;Sayers et al. 2008;Vasileiou et al., 2013;Winchester et al. 2008;Papadopoulos et al, 2015, Famisis , 2015Galazoulas, 2017). Some mechanical and neurological factors are considered responsible for the deterioration of sprint time after the direct application of static stretching exercises (Sayers et al. 2008), such as the musculotendinous system stiffness (MTU) (Fletcher & Jones, 2004), the reduced muscle temperature (Pearce et al. 2011;Mohr, Krustrup, Nybo, Nielsen & Bangsbo 2004), the neural inhibition (Nelson et al. 2005) and the reduce of myoelectric potentiation (Sayers et al. 2008;Winchester et al. 2008), which may lead to a reduction of the motor units recruitment ability and consequently in the reduced power production (Bosco, Tarkka, & Komi, 1982). ...
... The results of the present study on worsening of sprint immediately after static stretching agree with corresponding researches that they show similar findings (Fletcher & Jones, 2004;Fletcher & Monte-Colombo, 2010;Gelen, 2010;Needman et al. 2009;Nelson et al. 2005;Sayers et al. 2008;Vasileiou et al., 2013;Winchester et al. 2008;Papadopoulos et al, 2015, Famisis , 2015Galazoulas, 2017). Some mechanical and neurological factors are considered responsible for the deterioration of sprint time after the direct application of static stretching exercises (Sayers et al. 2008), such as the musculotendinous system stiffness (MTU) (Fletcher & Jones, 2004), the reduced muscle temperature (Pearce et al. 2011;Mohr, Krustrup, Nybo, Nielsen & Bangsbo 2004), the neural inhibition (Nelson et al. 2005) and the reduce of myoelectric potentiation (Sayers et al. 2008;Winchester et al. 2008), which may lead to a reduction of the motor units recruitment ability and consequently in the reduced power production (Bosco, Tarkka, & Komi, 1982). ...
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of specific warm-up in soccer on 20 m sprint after static and dynamic stretching in a sample of 16 healthy amateur soccer players, aged 21,41±3,28 years. All participants performed on different days and in random order, a warm-up program that included general warm up, static or dynamic stretching of lower extremities, a specific warm-up of the sport and three measurements of 20 m sprint. The first sprint measurement was made after the general warm up, the second after the static or dynamic stretching and the third after the specific warm-up. The time of sprint was measured by photocells. The results of the study showed a decline of the sprint time after the static stretching protocol (p<0.05) and reversal (p<0.005) after the application of the specific part of the warm-up. The results also showed that the sprint performance is not affected neither positively nor negatively, after the implementation of dynamic stretching protocol and the specific warm-up that follows. It is concluded that the specific soccer warm-up which is applied to the third part of the warm-up, not only eliminates the negative effects caused by static stretching on sprint, but also improves the performance in amateur soccer players. Moreover this type of warm-up does not affect the sprint after the dynamic stretching.
... Eine Studie untersuchte 15 m-Sprints (Fortier et al., 2013), sieben Untersuchungen betrachteten 20 m-Sprints Blazevich et al., 2018;Islamoglu et al., 2016;Nelson et al., 2005;Oliveira & Rama, 2016;Pearce et al., 2012). Zwei Studien nutzten 30 m (Gelen, 2010;Sayers et al., 2008), drei Studien 40 m-Sprints (Favero et al., 2009;Fletcher & Monte-Colombo, 2010;Loughran et al., 2017) und eine Studie 100 m-Sprints (Kistler et al., 2010). Bei zwei Studien aus derselben Forschergruppe verbesserte sich die Sprintleistung nach SD signifikant gegenüber der Kontrollsituation ohne Dehnen. ...
... Bei vier Studien (Gelen, 2010;Kistler et al., 2010;Nelson et al., 2005;Sayers et al., 2008) wurden die Proband*innen nach der Dehnintervention signifikant langsamer. ...
Kurzzusammenfassung Ziele: Statisches Dehnen unterlag immer wieder starken Schwankungen in der Popularität. Im Raum stehen und standen die Fragen nach den Auswirkungen auf Verletzungsrisiko und Leistung. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird darauf eingegangen, welche Auswirkung statisches Dehnen direkt vor sportlicher Leistungserbringung im Bereich Kraft, Schnellkraft und Schnelligkeit hat. Methoden: Diese Arbeit wurde nach den PRISMA-Regeln für systematische Reviews erstellt. Randomisierte kontrollierte Studien in englischer und deutscher Sprache wurden über die Datenbanken PubMed, Sportdiscus und Cochrane CENTRAL gesucht und nach vordefinierten Inklusionskriterien ausgewählt. Die Ergebnisse wurden nach Dehnmethode, Belastungsparameter der Intervention und nach Outcome-Parametern im Bereich Kraft, Schnellkraft und Schnelligkeit aufgeschlüsselt und analysiert. Ergebnisse: Es konnten 88 Studien identifiziert werden, die den Einschlusskriterien genügen. Die Qualität der Studien wurde nach der PEDro-Skala bewertet. Die meisten Studien erreichten einen Gesamtscore von 4/10 Punkten. Die Dehninterventionen in den Primärstudien können als sehr heterogen beschrieben werden. Insgesamt zeigt sich, dass statisches Dehnen einen kurzfristigen adversen Effekt auf sportliche Leistungsfähigkeit haben kann (bis zu-15 %). Längere Dehnung, multiple Serien und kürzere Abstände zwischen Dehnung und Leistungserbringung verstärken diesen Effekt. Kürzere Dehnung (10s-30s), einzelne Serien, aktive Pausen bis zur Testung (≥ 10min) sowie Voraktivierungen negieren den negativen Effekt. Zusammengefasst kann statisches Dehnen vor komplexen Bewegungsaufgaben eingesetzt werden, wenn weitere Aufwärmstrategien vor der Leistungserbringung folgen. Bei hochspezifischen, singulären sportlichen Aufgaben, wie häufig in der Leichtathletik oder im Kraftsport, sollte wenn möglich auf statisches Dehnen kurz vorher verzichtet werden. Die Entscheidung für oder gegen Dehnen sollte auf individueller Ebene und auf Ebene der Sportartenanalyse getroffen werden.
Abstract Aims: There is an ongoing debate about the use of static stretching before sports and exercise. Part of the debate is if static stretching could potentially change the risk of injury and performance in a relevant way. This thesis looks at the direct, acute effects of static stretching on sports performance concerning strength, explosiveness, and speed. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement. Only randomized, controlled studies got included in English and German language and searched via PubMed, Sportdiscus and Cochrane CENTRAL. The predefined inclusion criteria were used to identify the studies. The results were analyzed separately for stretching methods, loading and outcome parameters within strength, explosiveness, and speed. Results: 88 studies got included. The quality of the studies was analyzed using the PEDro scale. Most investigations hit a score of 4/10 possible points. The stretching interventions can be described as heterogenous. In summary, static stretching may provide short term adverse effects on performance (up to-15 %). Longer stretches, multiple series and a short timeframe between the stretching and testing increases this effect. Brief stretching interventions (10s-30s), single-sets, active rest (≥ 10min) and preactivation can nullify the adverse effects. It can be concluded that short passive stretching can be implemented prior to complex sporting tasks if additional warm-up strategies are. For specific sporting tasks, like in track and field or strength-sports, passive stretching should be avoided right before the tasks. The decision around the use of passive stretching should be made on an individual and sport-specific basis.
... The most important findings of the study were that there was a significant difference (p<0.05) in favor of the experimental groups in systolic blood pressure, push-ups, sit-ups, vertical and horizontal jump, and 30-meter sprint test in the "PNF" and "Training" groups. The current study suggests that the positive effect of PNF stretching exercises may be due to factors such as an appropriate tension level of the muscles, high motor unit activation, and high muscle electrical activity (29,30). The main principle of PNF techniques is that physiological movements in the human body have an oblique and rotational character and that a more incredible response is achieved by movement against maximum resistance (31). ...
... Conversely, they observed a decrease in 50-m sprint time (improvement in performance) after warm-ups involving static dynamic stretches combined with active dynamic stretches or with the active dynamic stretches alone. [6] Little and Williams reported that a static-stretch protocol produced significantly faster runs than did the no-stretch protocol for the 20 m sprint.6 However, in their study, subjects performed further warm-up activity after the stretching, which may have affected the immediate adverse effects of static stretching that have been previously reported. ...
Background and Objective: Running has steadily gained worldwide popularity and is the primary mode ofexercise for many. This, increase in activities have further observed a steady increase in the incidences of injuries.Recreational function and activities like running results in hip pain, limitation of motion or both. Iliopsoas, beingthe primary and the strongest hip flexor plays an important role in maintaining integrity and strength of hip joint.Iliopsoas muscle tightness occur as a result of overuse or strain in recreational runners. The primary aim of thisstudy was to find the effect of iliopsoas release on running speed in recreational runners.Materials and methodology: 40 recreational runners were included in the study. Static release and Dynamicrelease was given to the patients. A pre-test Assessment of Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) on rest, and on activity,Manual Muscle Testing (MMT), Range Of Motion (ROM) and Straight Line Sprint Test (SPT) was taken.Result: Pain is significantly reduced during both, rest and VAS exercise. The mobility of the hip joint hassignificantly increased based on the ROM. There is a significant improvement on muscle strength evaluated byMMT.Conclusion: There is significant increase in running speed of recreational runners, along with significant decreasein pain.
... Different WU protocols [3,4] can impact running speed [5,6], and practitioners are constantly searching for new methods for improving their athletes' performances. Since WU aims to prepare players for upcoming efforts, it is not surprising that negative or trivial results rarely occur [4,7] and are primarily those where static stretching is included [8]. ...
Maintaining the state achieved after the warm-up in modern soccer represents a significant problem. The main goal of this research was to determine the influence of a regular tracksuit on skin temperature and running speed during the pre-game routine. This study included 36 youth soccer players (15.61 ± 0.68 years, 175.16 ± 4.21 cm) divided into two groups. A two-way ANOVA was used with the level of significance set at <0.05. The main findings of this research indicated that skin temperature is reduced after the WU and is slower to be restored when players wear tracksuits. In addition, the results showed a significant treatment × time-point interaction effect for 10 [p = 0.015, ηp2 = 0.16], 20 [p = 0.001, ηp2 = 0.26], and 30 [p = 0.005, ηp2 = 0.20] meter sprint tests. A significant treatment (experimental vs. control) main effect was observed for 10 m [p = 0.042, ηp2 = 0.35], 20 m [p = 0.020, ηp2 = 0.55], and 30 m [p = 0.005, ηp2 = 0.58] sprint tests. Moreover, a significant sequence-trial interaction effect for 10 m (p = 0.002), 20 m (p < 0.001), and 30 m (p < 0.001) sprints was observed. However, the main effects of the sequence or trial factors alone were insignificant. It is concluded that regular tracksuits may have a beneficial influence on Ts loss and running speed. This research’s most significant practical application is that it lasts for a short period of time and that it requires no extra effort.
... Al comparar los resultados con otros estudios que han evaluado a jugadoras de fútbol de élite, Krustrup et al. (2010), presenta valores medios de 5.06±0.1 segundos y Oberacker et al. (2012), 4.93±0.3 segundos, ambos tiempos de menor rendimiento al valor encontrado en este estudio, por su parte, Sayers et al. (2008), muestra una media de 4.81±0.3 segundos y Stepinski et al. (2020), 4.61±0.2 ...
Las capacidades físicas de velocidad, fuerza, resistencia y flexibilidad están relacionadas con el potencial metabólico y mecánico del músculo, que al ser orientadas correctamente de acuerdo con las demandas del juego pueden ser factores que contribuyan al rendimiento y al estado de salud de las deportistas. El objetivo de este estudio fue realizar un análisis descriptivo del rendimiento de la velocidad, la fuerza, la resistencia y la flexibilidad en futbolistas chilenas de primera división en función a la posición de juego. Las participantes de este estudio fueron 30 jugadoras con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y 28 años, las cuales se encontraban iniciando el periodo de preparación. Fueron agrupadas según la posición de juego en 3 guardametas (PO), 4 centrales (CT), 6 laterales (LT), 6 mediocentros (MC), 5 mediocentros de banda (MB) y 6 delanteras (DC). Las jugadoras completaron las pruebas de velocidad en 30 metros lineales (V30M), Arrowhead Agility Test (AAT), Counter Movement Jump (CMJ), Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT) y Elevación de la Pierna Recta (EPR). No se observaron diferencias significativas para las variables de velocidad, fuerza, resistencia y flexibilidad según la posición de juego (p<.05), pero si se encontraron relaciones significativas entre V30M y AAT (r=.435, p=.001), CMJ (r=-.599, p=.000), VIFT (r=-.621, p=.000), VO2máx (r=-.562, p=.001) y EPR-D (r=-.418, p=.019), entre EPR-ND y AAT (r=.448, p=.012), EPR-D y CMJ (r=.537, p=.002), VIFT y VO2máx (r=.934, p=.000), EPR-D y EPR-ND (r=.813, p=.000). En conclusión, las capacidades físicas de velocidad, fuerza, resistencia y flexibilidad no difieren en función a la posición de juego, pero presentan relaciones significativas entre ellas, especialmente la velocidad. Palabras clave: Mujer, Fútbol, Capacidad Física, Posición de Juego. Abstract. The physical capacities of speed, strength, resistance, and flexibility are related to the metabolic and mechanical potential of the muscle, which, when correctly oriented according to the demands of the game, can be factors that contribute to the performance and health status of athletes. The objective of this study was to carry out a descriptive analysis of the performance of the speed, strength, resistance, and flexibility in Chilean soccer players of the first division based the playing position. The participants of this study were 30 players, aged between 18 and 28 years, who were beginning the preparation period. They were grouped according to the position of the game according to 3 goalkeepers (PO), 4 center backs (CT), 6 full backs (LT), 6 midfielders (MC), 5 wide midfielders (MB) and 6 forwards (DC). The players completed the 30 linear meter sprint tests (V30M), Arrowhead Agility Test (AAT), Counter Movement Jump (CMJ), Intermittent Fitness Test (30-15IFT) and Straight Leg Raise (EPR). No significant differences were observed for the variables of speed, strength, resistance, and flexibility according to the game position (p<.05), but if significant relationships were found between V30M and AAT (r=.435, p=.001), CMJ (r=-.599, p=.000), VIFT (r=-.621, p=.000), VO2máx (r=-.562, p=.001) and EPR-D (r=-.418, p=.019), between EPR-ND y AAT (r=.448, p=.012), EPR-D and CMJ (r=.537, p=.002), VIFT and VO2máx (r=.934, p=.000), EPR-D and EPR-ND (r=.813, p=.000). In conclusion, the physical capacities of speed, strength, resistance, and flexibility do not differ depending on the playing position, but they do present significant relationships between them, especially the speed. Keywords: Woman, Soccer, Physical Capacity, Playing Position.
... While researchers have investigated the effectiveness of stretching routines mostly on males, including rugby players (Caplan et al., 2009;Fletcher & Jones, 2004), sprinters (Jonhagen et al., 1994), soccer players (Sayers et al., 2008), and young adults (Bradley et al., 2007), this is the first study to examine a yoga (stretching) programme for female rugby players. After measuring the players and comparing with the norms available the author (s) found out that players flexibility was below these norms (Gray & Naylor, 2009). ...
There is an ongoing search on how to enhance the sprint performance of athletes. One should likely start investigating beyond traditional sport-training techniques about enhancing the sprinting ability of an athlete. Female rugby players were randomly assigned to one of the two groups; an experimental group (n = 5) and a control group (n = 5). Data were collected during pre-season and end- season on hamstring flexibility and sprint performance. Unpaired t-tests with an alpha level of p ≤ 0.05, Pearson correlation coefficient for the correlation. The experimental group significantly improved their straight leg raise test (SLR) by 29.1 ± 15.3-degrees (mean % change ± 95% CI, p < 0.05) and 5 m sprint time -10.4 ± 10.2 % compared to the control group 2.9 ± 15.3-degree (p = 0.05), and time difference of 9.9 ± 6.1% respectively. There was also a moderate negative correlation between SLR and 5 m sprint performance time (r = -0.29, p < 0.05 statistical significance. Results indicate that a 12-week yoga training helped improve the hamstring flexibility and performance of the 5 m acceleration phases of the 20 m sprint of rugby union players compared to a control group. Yoga helped rugby players to improve their hamstring flexibility when practiced alongside normal rugby training but maybe did little to improve sprint measures greater than 5 m performance during the season.
... Unlike this fact, new studies have shown that different types of stretch during warm-up may have adverse effects on physical performance [16]. Therefore, it is suggested that static stretching should not be used as part of a routine preparation program for physical activity, as it has negative effects on running performance [17]. However, contrary to the findings of these articles, in our study no adverse effects were observed after the application of static stretching. ...
Objective
The goal of the present study was to investigate the acute effects of kinesio tape on range of motion (ROM), perceived stiffness, and kinetic parameters in athletes with hamstring shortness.
Methods
Fifteen athletes with bilateral hamstring shortness were divided randomly into intervention (inhibitory application of kinesio tape plus static stretching) and control (static stretching) groups. Outcome measures were straight leg raise (SLR), active knee extension (AKE) tests for ROM, visual analogue scale (VAS) for perceived stiffness and kinetic parameters which are recorded and calculated by Moticon SCIENCE insoles during four functional performance task of single leg stance (SLS), slow and fast walking and running.
Results
ROM, stiffness, and kinetic parameters examined with insoles during SLS and walking tasks changed in both the intervention and control groups (P < 0.05). Furthermore, study groups were different in some variables. The increase in ROM in SLR test and the decrease in perceived stiffness in the intervention group were more evident than in the control group (P = 0.03 and P = 0.001, respectively).There was no difference between the intervention and control groups for the variables in SLS test, slow and fast walking, and running tasks, except for the mean swing duration (MSWD) (P = 0.002) in fast walking.
Conclusion
The static stretching alone and the kinesio tape plus static stretching could change many of the kinetic parameters during walking and balance tasks, but the rate of these changes were more significant with kinesio tape plus stretching compared to the stretching alone.
... The above-mentioned study coincided with this study as there was no significant improvement in the speed among cricket players associated to dynamic stretching protocol as p-value 0.264. Many researches shows that static stretching can impair power, strength and speed 22,23 . The findings of current study contradict with this as there was a significant improvement in speed, agility, power and quality of life following stretching program as p value is <0.001.Sarika, S et al. has made an effort to evaluate the acute effects of combined stretching methods on flexibility, Speed, & agility in cricket players. ...
Background: The FIFA 11+ program is established protocol in the training of football players. Speed agility and power are also the crucial component of cricket performance. FIFA 11+ program may be the choice of training among cricketers. Objective: To determine the effects of FIFA 11+ program on speed, agility, power and quality of life among cricket players. Methods: A single blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted on n= 50 cricket players were recruited through non-probability convenient sampling technique from Pakistan sports board and coaching centre Lahore. The inclusion criteria were cricketers having age between 14 to 35 years and those never participated in FIFA 11+ program was enrolled in study. The participants were randomly allocated to two groups receiving six (6) sessions of Injury prevention program FIFA 11+ (Group A) and conventional stretching (Group B) respectively. The outcome measures were 30m sprint test for speed, T-drill test for agility, 5 jumps test for power and athlete Life Quality Scale. As the data was not normally distributed non-parametric tests were applied for with-in and between the group comparisons. Results: The mean age of participants was 20.19 + 2.796 years. Both groups showed statistically significant improvement (p<0.001) in speed, agility, power, and quality of life. While comparing the groups, there was no significant difference (p=0.264) was observed in speed. But FIFA 11+ program showed more significant improvement in agility, power and quality of life as compare to conventional dynamic stretching group (p<0.05) after 3 weeks of intervention. Conclusion: FIFA 11+ program can be recommended as an effective approach towards improving the agility, power, and quality of life of in cricket players. Key words: Agility, Dynamic stretching program, FIFA 11+, Power, Speed, athlete, cricket
... h -1 ) to 5.06 s (21.34 km . h -1 ) [67,124,126]. Whilst, research has suggested that players sprinting time was on average 5.6s and 5.9s over 40m and 40yd, respectively [35,117,127,128]. ...
... Also, the relationship between hamstring tightness and increased energy consumption during walking has been previously reported by Williams and Welch [40]. Although some previous studies suggested static stretching as an intervention with potential negative effects on running performance [45], our results indicated no adverse effect of this intervention on biomechanical variables of running. Total force (TF) is the summation of three components of the ground reaction force during gait cycles, so a decrease in maximum TF or mean TF can be considered as a positive change following any intervention. ...
Introduction: Flexibility is an essential component of muscle function, and insufficient muscle flexibility may lead to muscle injuries. Decreased hamstring flexibility is one of the frequently reported risk factors for a hamstring strain and diminished athletic performance. Stretching is a commonly used intervention for increasing muscle length. There is a lack of evidence concerning the possible effects of hamstring stretching in balance and gait biomechanics. So, this study was designed to investigate the potential effects of static hamstring stretching on the range of motion (ROM), dynamic balance, and biomechanical variables of gait in athletes with hamstring tightness.
Materials and Methods: This study is a single-group, pretest-posttest clinical trial performed on semi-professional female athletes. Twelve female athletes aged 20 to 35 years with bilateral hamstring tightness received a single session of unilateral static hamstring stretching on their randomly selected side. All subjects were assessed for straight leg raise, popliteal angle (using standard goniometry), perceived hamstring tightness (using a visual analog scale). They completed single-leg standing and 15-m walking and running tasks before and immediately after the intervention. The biomechanical parameters, including gait-line length, swing duration, and stance duration in walking tasks, maximum total force and mean total force in running task, and center of pressure (COP) displacement and standard deviation during balance task were measured using OpenGo sensor insole system. The pre-post values were compared using the paired sample t-test, and the level of significance was 0.05.
Results: The values for straight leg raise and popliteal angle significantly increased (P
... [1] However, researchers have reported mixed results when examining the effects of flexibility on speed, athletic performance, and countermovement jump performance. [1,[3][4][5][6] These mixed results have created confusion and debate among researchers, particularly around the association stretching has with subsequent explosive performance. [4,[7][8][9] To date, only a few researchers have explored the chronic effect of a stretching routine or flexibility intervention on rugby players. ...
Background:
A Yoga-asana-based intervention has demonstrated its ability to improve flexibility of individuals, but has not been explored in rugby players. We hypothesized that a structured yoga intervention may have an effect on flexibility and sprint performance in male rugby union players.
Methods:
It was a controlled trial research design and players were assigned using random sampling to one of the two groups; a yoga group (n = 16) that practised yoga for 1 h 2 times a week for 8 weeks in addition to their normal rugby training and a control group (n = 15) with regular rugby training but no yoga intervention. Yoga intervention included 32 yoga postures to address both the upper and lower extremities of the body. Data were collected during preseason and mid-season on hamstring flexibility (sit and reach test), and sprint performance (measured at 5, 10, and 30 m).
Results:
One hundred and twenty participants were screened and thirty-one players volunteered for the study. Interactions between groups and differences between pre- and post-intervention scores were analyzed using analysis of variance using SPSS (version 24.0). Significance was set at an alpha level of P = 0.05. The yoga group showed a small nonsignificant decrease (-1.2% ± 21.4%, P = 0.05) in hamstring flexibility compared to the control group which demonstrated a large significant decrease (-14.8% ± 23.7%) (mean % change ± 95% confidence interval [CI], P < 0.05). The yoga group also showed minor nonsignificant improvements in sprint times -3.2% ± 10.4%, -0.7% ± 9.0% for the 5 and 10 m sprints, respectively, (mean % change ± 95% CI) compared to controls -0.4% ± 10.2%, 0.4% ± 7.9%.
Conclusions:
Findings suggest that completing a structured yoga intervention alongside normal rugby training during the rugby season, yoga helped rugby players maintain their hamstring flexibility but did little to improve sprint performance during the season.
... Besides, hamstring flexibility has an association with physical fitness, maximum O2 uptake, and jumping ability in football players (Arnason et al., 2004). Further, the study by Sayers et al. (2008) proved that static hamstring stretching contributed to an increase in the sprinting speed performance in elite football players. Furthermore, a randomized controlled trial on hamstring stretching programs in football players reported an overall improvement in 30m sprint tests significantly as compared with other protocols (Figueira, Gonçalves, Masiulis, & Sampaio, 2018). ...
Background: Muscle flexibility is one of the most vital aspects of fitness and health that plays an important role in the human body functions. In sports such as futsal, lower limb musculature has its principle function that the properties of these muscles influence performance and skills within the sport. The specific performance traits such as speed, power, and endurance were widely studied however, the specific skills and attributes of futsal sports pass accuracy, ball control, trapping, reflex, consistency, and agility in association with hamstring flexibility were not much reported. Objective: This study aims to find the association between hamstring flexibility and skills performance of collegiate recreational futsal players. Methodology: This study includes 100 volunteered male collegiate recreational futsal players with ages range18-25 years. The participants' hamstring flexibility was tested by using V-sit and reach test and the futsal skills performance with the McDonald soccer skill test. The data were analyzed statistically to find the association using Pearson's Correlation and Linear regression. Results: The participants showed a strong association between hamstring flexibility and futsal skill performance with r = 0.701, p= <0.001. Linear regression analysis showed a strong association and predictor value for hamstring flexibility as a factor for futsal skills performance scores with r^2 = 0.492. Conclusion: The study concludes hamstring flexibility is an integral part and plays a major role in the betterment of futsal skills performances unique to the specific game, besides it pivotal in maintaining performance and reducing the risk of injuries among players.
... Araştırma bulgularına göre farklı sürelerde uygulanan statik germe egzersizlerinin sürat performansına etkisi yoktur. Bizim bulgularımıza paralel olarak statik germenin sürate etkisinin olmadığını bildiren çalışmalar (Amiri-Khosanani ve ark., 2016; Mariscal ve ark., 2018) olduğu gibi statik germenin sürat performansını negatif (Yıldız, Çilli, Gelen, & Güzel, 2013;Sayers, Farley, Fuller, Jubenville, & Caputo, 2008) egzersizden oluşan ve bir egzersizin 15 saniye sürdüğü germe egzersizleri sonrasında derinlik ve aktif sıçrama performansı değişmemiştir (Unick ve diğ., 2005). Buna karşın Evans ve ark. ...
Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı farklı statik germe sürelerinin anaerobik güç, statik denge ve sürat performansına etkisini sınamaktır.
Materyal ve Metot: Çalışmaya 18-21 yaş aralığında sağlıklı 12 genç erkek gönüllü olarak katılmıştır. Çalışmada çapraz deneme modeli kullanılmış olup katılımcılar 1 hafta arayla rastgele kontrol, 10sn. germe, 15sn. germe, 30sn. germe ve 45sn. germe olmak üzere toplamda 4 farklı denemeye katılmışlardır. Katılımcılar düşük tempoda yapılan aerobik temelli ısınma sonrasında rastgele 15sn. germe, 30sn. germe, 45sn germe ve germenin olmadığı denemelere katılmış ve hemen sonrasında sürat, denge ve anaerobik güç özellikleri ölçülmüştür. Farklı statik germe sürelerinde anaerobik güç, sürat ve denge performansı açısından denemelerin fark yaratıp yaratmadığına Tekrarlı Ölçümlerde Varyans Analizi (Repeated Measures ANOVA) ile bakılmıştır.
Bulgular: Tekrarlı ölçümlerde varyans analizi sonuçlarına göre denemeler arasında anaerobik güç, sürat ve denge performansı değerleri açısından istatiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark bulunamamıştır (p > 0,05).
Sonuç: Sonuç olarak statik germe sürelerinin sürat, denge ve anaerobik güç performansını etkilemediği söylenebilir.
... Esses resultados foram semelhantes a estudos realizados anteriormente com atletas de futebol (Mariscal et al., 2018, Little & Williams, 2006. Acreditamos que, apesar do AEP atenuar os impulsos nervosos do sistema nervoso central para o musculo durante o Sprint (Sayers et al., 2008), parece que o volume utilizado e o teste aplicado parecem não sofrer influência aguda dos AE (Behm & Chaouachi, 2011). Além disso, um dos fatores que poderiam limitar os resultados encontrados no presente estudo em relação ao desempenho no sprint foi a avaliação através de aplicativo (SpeedClock), entretanto vale ressaltar que o aplicativo é uma ferramenta válida, de baixo custo e fácil acessibilidade para treinadores (Stanton et al., 2016). ...
Resumo. É comum em diversas modalidades esportivas os praticantes incluírem rotinas de alongamento e corrida submáxima como forma de aquecimento antes dos treinos e competições. No entanto, não existe um consenso sobre a influência destes protocolos no desempenho de jogadores universitários de voleibol. O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar o efeito da corrida submáxima (CS) e do alongamento estático passivo (AEP) no desempenho de atletas universitários de voleibol durante testes de Salto Contramovimento (SCM) e Sprint de 10 metros. Treze atletas do sexo masculino foram convidados a executarem dois testes funcionais (SCM e sprint de 10 metros), de forma aleatória, em três condições diferentes: 1) condição controle (CC), 2) após o AEP, e 3) após uma CS. O desempenho do SCM e Sprint foram obtidos através de aplicativos de smartphone. A condição CS apresentou um desempenho significativamente melhor do SCM em comparação com AEP (p = 0.01). Entretanto, não houve diferença entre as condições experimentais e controle (p > 0.05). Além disso, nenhuma diferença significativa no tempo e velocidade do sprint de 10m foram observadas entre as condições examinadas (p = 0.7 e p = 0.6, respectivamente). Podemos concluir que a corrida submáxima parece ser melhor do que os AEP para melhorar o desempenho de atletas universitários de voleibol. Palavras-chave: Aquecimento. Desempenho neuromuscular. Velocidade. Potência. Esporte. Resumen. Es común en diversas modalidades deportivas que los practicantes incluyan rutinas de estiramiento y carrera como forma de calentamiento antes de los entrenamientos y competiciones. Sin embargo, no hay consenso sobre la influencia de estos protocolos en el desempeño de los jugadores universitarios de voleibol. El objetivo de este estudio fue verificar el efecto de la carrera sub máxima (CSM) y del estiramiento estático pasivo (EEP) en el desempeño de atletas universitarios de voleibol durante pruebas de Salto Contramovimiento (SCM) y sprint de 10 metros. Trece atletas masculinos fueron invitados a realizar dos pruebas funcionales (SCM y sprint de 10 metros), de forma aleatoria, en tres condiciones diferentes: 1) condición control (CC), 2) después de AEP, y 3) después de una CSM. El rendimiento de SCM y Sprint se ha obtenido a través de aplicaciones de smartphone. La condición CSM presentó un rendimiento significativamente mejor del SCM en comparación con EEP (p = 0.01). Sin embargo, no hubo diferencia entre las condiciones experimentales y control (p > 0.05). Además, no se observó ninguna diferencia significativa en el tiempo y la velocidad del sprint de 10 m entre las condiciones examinadas (p = 0.7 y p = 0.6, respectivamente). Podemos concluir que la carrera sub máxima parece ser mejor que el estiramiento estático para mejorar el desempeño de los atletas universitarios de voleibol. Palabras clave: Calefacción. Rendimiento neuromuscular. Velocidad. Potencia. Deporte. Abstract. It is common in many sports for participants to include stretching and submaximal running as a way of warming-up before training sessions and competitions. However, there is no confirmation of their influence on the performance of varsity volleyball players. This study aimed to verify the effect of Submaximal Running (SR) and Passive Static Stretching (PSS) on the performance of college volleyball athletes during Contra Movement Jump (CMJ) and 10-meter sprint tests. Thirteen male athletes were randomly invited to perform two functional tests (CMJ and 10-meter sprint) under three different conditions: 1) control condition (CC), 2) after PSS, and 3) after an SR. Performance at CMJ and 10-meter sprint were assessed through smartphone applications. SR-subjected individuals presented a significantly better performance at CMJ test when compared to PSS (p = 0.01). However, there was no difference between the experimental and control conditions (p > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in sprint time and speed at the 10-meter sprint test between the analyzed conditions (p = 0.7 and p = 0.6, respectively). We can conclude that submaximal running can be better than static stretching to improve the performance of college volleyball athletes.
... And, it is important to assess functional outcomes, such as ROM, passive toque, and passive stiffness, to confirm the effects of static stretching as part of warmup exercise in detail. In contrast to the effects of static stretching on flexibility, several recent review articles have reported that static stretching can have detrimental effects on muscle performance 14,15) , including maximum muscle force [3][4][5][6]16) , sprint time 17,18) , and jump height 19,20) . Fowles et al. 21) reported that a decrease in muscle force after static stretching was caused by a reduction in motor unit activation (e.g., peripheral electromyographic activity) and a reduction in muscle force-generating capacity (e.g., the decrease in musculotendinous stiffness). ...
Although static stretching is commonly performed to improve flexibility, it has been reported to have detrimental effects on muscle force and performance. Previous studies have reported that low-intensity and short-duration isometric contraction after static stretching inhibits stretch-induced force loss. However, the detailed effects of low-intensity short-duration isometric contraction after static stretching on flexibility, such as passive torque and stiffness, are currently unclear. Therefore, the current study sought to reveal the effects of low-intensity and short-duration isometric contraction after static stretching on flexibility and muscle force. Sixteen healthy participants (eight men, eight women) performed 300-s static stretching (SS), 300-s static stretching followed by 6-s 30% maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) (SS-30% MIVC), and 6-s 30% MIVC (30% MIVC) of the right hamstring on three separate days, in random order. Range of motion (ROM) and passive stiffness during knee extension, peak passive torque, and MIVC torque were obtained before and after exercise. ROM and peak passive torque were significantly increased after all exercises, whereas passive stiffness and MIVC torque were significantly decreased after SS only. Moreover, ROM after SS and SS-30% MIVC were significantly greater than that of 30% MIVC, and peak passive torque after SS-30% MIVC was significantly greater than that of SS, while passive stiffness after SS was significantly lower than that of 30% MIVC. These results indicate that low-intensity and short-duration isometric contraction after static stretching is effective for inhibiting stretch-induced force loss while also inhibiting the effects of static stretching on passive stiffness.
... Conversely, the acute effects depressing performance seem to be well established in the literature (Avela, Kyrolainen, & Komi, 1999;Haddad et al., 2013;McHugh & Cosgrave, 2010;Nelson, Driscoll, Landin, Young, & Schexnayder, 2005;Rubini, Costa, & Gomes, 2007;Sayers, Farley, Fuller, Jubenville, & Caputo, 2008;Simic, Sarabon, & Markovic, 2012). Likely, such effects are neurally mediated, as they may affect both the stretched and the non-stretch muscles (Masugi, Obata, Inoue, Kawashima, & Nakazawa, 2017). ...
Flexibility is a measurable physical capacity considered as a key component of physical fitness. Poor flexibility is usually attributed to excessive tension exerted by the antagonist muscles of the movement and, supported by weak scientific evidence, passive stretching is considered as the most effective intervention in the promotion of the muscle extensibility, in attempting to improve mobility. The proposal of this paper is a review of the effects of static stretching in human movement and a presentation of strength training as a more robust alternative based on scientific evidence. First, we try to define which factors influence the ability of the human body to move into their functional safety range of motion. Second, we present a critical scientific literature review of the effects of static stretching in the promotion of range of motion, injury prevention, and sports performance. Third, we propose alternatives to static stretching such as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, dynamic stretching, and especially strength/resistance training, in the promotion of a better range of motion. Finally, we conclude that perhaps problems of flexibility/mobility should not be addressed with static processes, but with movement.
... This finding corroborates a study on male rugby union players, where passive stretching caused significantly slower 20 m sprint times (Fletcher and Jones, 2004). Similarly, in elite female soccer players, decreases in acceleration, maximalvelocity sprint time and overall sprint time were observed after the SS routine versus a nostretching warm-up (Sayers et al., 2008). Others reported significantly slower 20 m sprint times after four sets of three passive stretches each lasting 30 s, as compared with a no-stretching condition (Nelson et al., 2005). ...
This randomized cross-over study examined the effects of typical static and dynamic stretching warm-up protocols on repeated-sprint performance. Thirteen young female handball players performed a 5 min aerobic warm-up followed by one of three stretching protocols for the lower limbs: (1) static stretching, (2) dynamic-ballistic stretching, and (3) no stretching before performing five all-out sprints on a cycle ergometer. Each protocol was performed on a different occasion, separated by 2-3 days. Range of movement (ROM) was also measured before and after the warm-up protocols with a sit-and-reach test. Fixed and random effects of each stretching protocol on repeated sprint performance were estimated with mixed linear modeling and data were evaluated via standardization and magnitude-based inferences. In comparison to no stretching, there were small increases in ROM after dynamic stretching (12.7%, ±0.7%; mean, ±90% confidence limits) and static stretching (19.2%, ±0.9%). There were small increases in the average power across all sprints with dynamic stretching relative to static stretching (3.3%, ±2.4%) and no stretching (3.0%, ±2.4%) and trivial to small increases in the average power in the 1st and 5th trials with dynamic stretching compared to static stretching (3.9%, ±2.6%; 2.6%, ±2.6%, respectively) and no stretching (2.0%, ±2.7%; 4.1%, ±2.8%, respectively). There were also trivial and small decreases in power across all sprints with static relative to dynamic stretching (-1.3%, ±2.8%) and no stretching (-3.5%, ±2.9%). Dynamic stretching improved repeated-sprint performance to a greater extent than static stretching and no stretching.
... [21][22][23] for example, reductions were reported in vertical jump performance, 24,25 muscle strength, 26 power, 27 acceleration 28, 29 and sprint performance. [25][26][27][28][29][30] from another side, the development of rhythm in hurdlers is considered important since it affects the athletes' posture while running between the obstacles. 18 actually, younger athletes must probably experience and eventually perfect a variety of MS in order to ensure future athletic success through a combined training including flexibility with plyometric exercises. ...
Background:
This study aims to determine the effect of flexibility exercises combined with plyometrics in hurdles race, on physical fitness, motor skills (MS) and hip range of motion.
Methods:
34 male hurdlers, (age = 15.7±0.7 years, body mass = 59.7±2.3 kg, height = 170.8±2.4 cm) were randomly assigned to four independent groups. The (Gflex+plyo), the (Gplyo), the (Gflex) and a control group (Gcon). All participants performed different tests: a test of right and left hip flexion (RHF, LHF) and extension (RHE, LHE), squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), stiffness jump (STFJ) and three (MS) exercises (running, hopping and leaping). A 60-m sprint on the hurdles was also performed.
Results:
The two-way analyses of covariance for repeated measures showed that Gflex+plyo increased significantly: the CMJ, performance on 60-m and showed higher performance in the between groups' comparison. The Gflex+plyo and Gflex showed the higher percentages of changes in flexibility (RHF: 3.2±1.3% and 3.0±2.1%; RHE: 6.4±2.4% and 9.4±4.1%, LHE: 8.4±3.4% and 7.8±4.3%, respectively). Gplyo increased significantly the LHF (3.9 ± 1.4%) more than the other groups. In the between groups' comparison, Gplyo showed the higher percentage of change in STFJ (6.4±1.8%) and the Gflex+plyo showed the higher values in running and hopping (10.7±4.6% and 13.3±2.1%, respectively).
Conclusions:
Specific stretching exercises combined with plyometrics may be more beneficial than other training strategies in young sprint-hurdlers. This may better improve physical fitness, hip range of motion and may increase different level of skills which may better improve performance in hurdles race.
... The total time for the 40 yard and 20-yard distances were recorded (25). The time to keep plank and side plank were recorded to evaluate the trunk muscular endurance (12,20,26). ...
Background: Soccer is the world's most popular sport, with most players being younger than 18 years. "FIFA 11+ Kids" has been recently introduced to prevent soccer injuries in adolescent players. This program would be more accepted and followed by coaches and players if it were to also promote performance and physical fitness in players. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a ten-week FIFA 11+ for kids Injury prevention program on performance and physical fitness in adolescent soccer players.
... Sprints are important components of team sports, with the majority of research reporting reductions in speed immediately after the performance of static stretching exercises [23][24][25]. Nevertheless, research examining the sprinting ability of athletes after a long-term adherence to static stretching protocols has been limited and has provided conflicting findings [9,12,26]. ...
The aim of the present trial was to investigate the effect of two stretching programs, a dynamic and a static one, on the sprint ability of recreational volleyball players. The sample consisted of 27 male recreational volleyball players (age 21.6 ± 2.1 years, mean ± standard deviation, body mass 80.3 ± 8.9 kg, height 1.82 ± 0.06 m, body mass index 24.3 ± 2.5 kg.m−2, volleyball experience 7.7 ± 2.9 years). Participants were randomly divided into three groups: (a) the first performing dynamic stretching exercises three times per week, (b) the second following a static stretching protocol on the same frequency, and (c) the third being the control group, abstaining from any stretching protocol. The duration of the stretching exercise intervention period was 6 weeks, with all groups performing baseline and final field sprinting tests at 4.5 and 9 m. The post-test sprint times were faster in both the 4.5 (p = 0.027, η2 = 0.188) and 9 m tests (p < 0.001, η2 = 0.605) compared to the pre-test values. A large time × group interaction was shown in both the 4.5 (p = 0.007, η2 = 0.341) and 9 m tests (p = 0.004, η2 = 0.363) with the static and dynamic stretching groups being faster in the post-test than in the pre-test, whereas no change was found in the control group. The percentage change in the 4.5 m sprint time correlated with volleyball experience (r = −0.38, p = 0.050), i.e., the longer the volleyball experience, the larger the improvement in the 4.5 m sprint. Thus, it is concluded that both stretching techniques have a positive effect on the velocity of recreational male volleyball players, when performed at a frequency of three times per week for 6 weeks under the same conditions as defined in the study protocol.
... Static stretching (SS) increases ROM [11][12][13] and may limit strength, maximum force, running velocity, balance or sprint performance, with an average reduction in performance of 3.7% 16 . Studies have shown that acute SS reduced force production 17 ; sprint performance 18,19 ; depth jump performance; vertical jump height; long jump distance 20,21 ; strength endurance 22 ; and balance, reaction, and movement times 23 . Consequently, Dynamic stretching (DS) has a minor effect on flexibility, but may well increase muscular strength with an average improvement in performance of 1.3% 24,25 . ...
... Sayers et al. [35] provide evidence that static stretching exerts a negative effect on sprint performance and should not be included as part of the preparation routine for physical activity that requires sprinting. However, the 8 min protocol, with a lower RPE (therefore possibly less fatigue) and less static stretching time caused an increase in performance in acceleration capacity. ...
Objectives
The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of three warm-up protocols with different durations in semiprofessional soccer players.
Material and methods
Fifteen semi-professional soccer players performed three warm-up protocols (Wup25min: 25 min, Wup15min: 15 min and Wup8min: 8 min duration) on three different days. Before (pre-test) and after (post-test) of each warm-up protocol, the players physical performance (sprint, vertical jump and change of direction) was evaluated and all the players were asked to respond to the subjective scale of readiness to play a match. Also, after completing each warm-up protocol, all players responded to the perceived exertion scale (RPE).
Results
Although all protocols significantly improved the feeling of players being prepared to play the game (p<0.05 or p<0.01), after performing the Wup25min protocol the players experienced a lower performance in the 10 m sprint (p<0.01) and in the 20 m sprint (p<0.05). While, the Wup8min protocol significantly improved performance in both the 10 m sprint (p<0.05) and the 20 m sprint (p<0.05). In addition, with the Wup25min protocol players stated a higher perceived exertion (RPE) (p < 0.05) than in the Wup15min and Wup8min protocols.
Conclusions
The Wup8min protocol was the only one that improved the acceleration ability of the soccer players in this study.
... [1] However, researchers have reported mixed results when examining the effects of flexibility on speed, athletic performance, and countermovement jump performance. [1,[3][4][5][6] These mixed results have created confusion and debate among researchers, particularly around the association stretching has with subsequent explosive performance. [4,[7][8][9] To date, only a few researchers have explored the chronic effect of a stretching routine or flexibility intervention on rugby players. ...
Whether increased flexibility can improve sprint performance, among athletes is debatable. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of an 8-week structured yoga intervention on flexibility and sprint performance of 18 male rugby union players, 19 ± 1.3 years old (mean ± SD). Players were assigned randomly to 2 groups; an experimental group (EG) that practiced yoga two times a week for 8 weeks and a control group (CG) that continued with their normal rugby training routine for the 8 weeks. Data were collected during pre-season and mid-season and included hamstring flexibility (sit and reach) and sprint performance (electronic timing). The EG had a small but non-significant increase in the sit and reach test of 3.0±11.9 cm (mean ± SD) compared to the CG. Additionally, compared to CG, the 5, 10, and 30 metre sprint time of EG showed a small but non-significant improvement of -0.08 ± 0.11 s in sprint time. The changes in the flexibility from pre- to - post-test was moderately correlated with change in sprint time (r=-0.25, p<.01). Results indicate that improved hamstring flexibility may have a small to moderate beneficial effect on 5-30 metre sprint performance.
... The total time for the 40 yard and 20-yard distances were recorded (25). The time to keep plank and side plank were recorded to evaluate the trunk muscular endurance (12,20,26). ...
Background: Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, with most players being younger than 18 years. “FIFA 11+ Kids” has been recently introduced to prevent soccer injuries in adolescent players. This program would be more accepted and followed by coaches and players if it were to also promote performance and physical fitness in players. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a ten-week FIFA 11+ for kids Injury prevention program on performance and physical fitness in adolescent soccer players. Methods: 56 adolescent players participated in this study from Tehran province, Iran. They were divided into intervention and control groups. The intervention group underwent 10 weeks of FIFA 11+ warm-up exercise for kids, while the control group followed its routine warm-up. Both groups took the slalom dribbling, Illinois, sit and reach, standing long jump, triple hop, Y balance, 40 and 20-yard sprint, plank and side plank tests one week before and after the program. Results: Covariance analysis showed that the intervention group gained significantly better results in Y balance, triple hop distance, and 40-yard speed tests compared to the control group as the result of the ten-week FIFA 11+ injury prevention program for kids. No significant difference was seen in the slalom dribbling, Illinois, sit and reach, standing long jump, 20-yard sprint, plank, and side plank between the groups. Conclusions: Y balance, triple hop distance and 40-yard speed tests could benefit from the11+ kids program owing to the specificity principle of training; since the main focus of the11+ kids program is on plyometric and balance exercises. As the 11+ Kids program does not contain the related drills to improve the performance and other fitness components, it is therefore not expected to improve the slalom dribbling, Illinois, sit and reach, standing long jump, 20-yard sprint, plank, and side plank. However, the 11+ kid’s program could enhance some of the related physical fitness components such as balance which has been shown to be related to sport injuries and may probably be effective in sport injury prevention.
Background: Static stretching (SS) is recommended to increase short-term flexibility and to reduce the risk of muscle/tendon injuries. However, impairments on muscle performance are also reported. Regarding its effect on the knee joint-position sense (JPS), conclusions remain inconclusive. Aim: To investigate the acute effects of two different durations of SS on the knee JPS of soccer players. Methods: This 3-period block-randomized controlled crossover trial included 17 male soccer players, aged 18–30 years, with normal knee range of motion and without history of lower limb injuries in the last 6 months. All participants performed 3 conditions: two experimental conditions of SS of the quadriceps and hamstrings muscles, for 30s or 90s; and a control condition (rest). Knee JPS of the dominant limb was assessed before and immediately after the conditions for the range of 45◦ of knee flexion by active repositioning, using a video camera and markers. JPS was expressed as absolute, relative and variable angular errors. Results: No significant differences in the errors were found between the assessment conducted before or after the SS interventions or Control (p > 0.05). However, intergroup comparisons revealed a significantly higher absolute angular error after the SS of 90s compared to Control (p = 0.003). Also, significantly higher relative errors after the SS of 90s were found compared to Control (p = 0.006) and SS of 30s (p = 0.004). Conclusion: SS of the quadriceps and hamstrings appears to have no effects on the knee JPS, regardless of the duration of the SS.
Background
Stretching has garnered significant attention in sports sciences, resulting in numerous studies. However, there is no comprehensive overview on investigation of stretching in healthy athletes.
Objectives
To perform a systematic scoping review with an evidence gap map of stretching studies in healthy athletes, identify current gaps in the literature, and provide stakeholders with priorities for future research.
Methods
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 and PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed. We included studies comprising healthy athletes exposed to acute and/or chronic stretching interventions. Six databases were searched (CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science) until 1 January 2023. The relevant data were narratively synthesized; quantitative data summaries were provided for key data items. An evidence gap map was developed to offer an overview of the existing research and relevant gaps.
Results
Of ~ 220,000 screened records, we included 300 trials involving 7080 athletes [mostly males (~ 65% versus ~ 20% female, and ~ 15% unreported) under 36 years of age; tiers 2 and 3 of the Participant Classification Framework] across 43 sports. Sports requiring extreme range of motion (e.g., gymnastics) were underrepresented. Most trials assessed the acute effects of stretching, with chronic effects being scrutinized in less than 20% of trials. Chronic interventions averaged 7.4 ± 5.1 weeks and never exceeded 6 months. Most trials (~ 85%) implemented stretching within the warm-up, with other application timings (e.g., post-exercise) being under-researched. Most trials examined static active stretching (62.3%), followed by dynamic stretching (38.3%) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching (12.0%), with scarce research on alternative methods (e.g., ballistic stretching). Comparators were mostly limited to passive controls, with ~ 25% of trials including active controls (e.g., strength training). The lower limbs were primarily targeted by interventions (~ 75%). Reporting of dose was heterogeneous in style (e.g., 10 repetitions versus 10 s for dynamic stretching) and completeness of information (i.e., with disparities in the comprehensiveness of the provided information). Most trials (~ 90%) reported performance-related outcomes (mainly strength/power and range of motion); sport-specific outcomes were collected in less than 15% of trials. Biomechanical, physiological, and neural/psychological outcomes were assessed sparsely and heterogeneously; only five trials investigated injury-related outcomes.
Conclusions
There is room for improvement, with many areas of research on stretching being underexplored and others currently too heterogeneous for reliable comparisons between studies. There is limited representation of elite-level athletes (~ 5% tier 4 and no tier 5) and underpowered sample sizes (≤ 20 participants). Research was biased toward adult male athletes of sports not requiring extreme ranges of motion, and mostly assessed the acute effects of static active stretching and dynamic stretching during the warm-up. Dose–response relationships remain largely underexplored. Outcomes were mostly limited to general performance testing. Injury prevention and other effects of stretching remain poorly investigated. These relevant research gaps should be prioritized by funding policies.
Registration
OSF project (https://osf.io/6auyj/) and registration (https://osf.io/gu8ya).
Objective
To evaluate the effects of different warm-up methods on the acute effect of lower limb explosive strength with the help of a reticulated meta-analysis system and to track the optimal method.
Methods
R software combined with Stata software, version 13.0, was used to analyse the outcome metrics of the 35 included papers. Mean differences (MD) were pooled using a random effects model.
Results
1) Static combined with dynamic stretching [MD = 1.80, 95% CI: (0.43, 3.20)] and dynamic stretching [MD = 1.60, 95% CI: (0.67, 2.60)] were significantly better than controls in terms of improving countermovement jump height (cm), and the effect of dynamic stretching was influenced by the duration of stretching (I² = 80.4%), study population (I² = 77.2%) and age (I² = 75.6%) as moderating variables, with the most significant effect size for dynamic stretching time of 7–10min. 2) Only dynamic stretching [MD = -0.08, 95% CI: (-0.15, -0.008)] was significantly better than the control group in terms of improving sprint time (s), while static stretching [MD = 0.07, 95% CI: (0.002, 0.13)] showed a significant, negative effect. 3) No results were available to demonstrate a significant difference between other methods, such as foam axis rolling, and the control group.
Conclusion
The results of this review indicate that static stretching reduced explosive performance, while the 2 warm-up methods, namely dynamic stretching and static combined with dynamic stretching, were able to significantly improve explosive performance, with dynamic stretching being the most stable and moderated by multiple variables and dynamic stretching for 7–10min producing the best explosive performance. In the future, high-quality studies should be added based on strict adherence to test specifications.
In this study, it was aimed to determine the acute effect of PNF exercises on balance and jump performance. The sample group of the study was Sports Science students 12 male (age: 20.83±1.11 years, Height: 184.41±5.45 cm, Body weight: 72.16±8.03 kg), 12 female (age: 19 years old) .83±0.71years, Height: 168.00±7.95cm, Body weight: 58.66±5.24kg) constituted a total of 24 participants. 5 minutes of jogging and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) exercise were applied to the participants, and then CMJ (Countermovement Jump) test for vertical jump performance and SJ (Squad Jump) test were applied to determine balance performance, static and dynamic balance test were applied. SPSS 25 statistical package program was used to evaluate the obtained data. According to the results of the evaluation, a significant difference was found at the level of p<0.05 in the intragroup comparisons of the CMJ and SJ values of female volleyball players, and at the level of p<0.05 in the SJ value of male volleyball players. In the static balance in-group comparisons of female volleyball players, a significant difference was found at the p<0.05 level in the mean right-left swing speed, and at the p<0.05 level in the standard right-to-left swing value of the male volleyball players. In the dynamic balance data, in women; A significant difference was found at p<0.05 level in dynamic balance performance, right swing area, right external swing area and right swing reaction time values. As a result, it can be said that PNF exercises contribute positively to the vertical jump and balance performance, and the implementation of these exercises in training and competitions will contribute to the performance of the athletes.
Bu çalışmada PNF egzersizlerinin denge ve sıçrama performansına akut etkisinin belirlenmesi amaçlandı. Araştırmanın örneklem grubunu Spor Bilimleri öğrencileri 12 erkek (yaş: 20.83±1.11 yıl, Boy: 184.41±5.45 cm, Vücut ağırlığı: 72.16±8.03 kg), 12 kadın (yaş: 19.83±0.71yıl, Boy: 168.00±7.95cm, Vücut ağırlığı: 58.66±5.24kg) toplam 24 katılımcı oluşturdu. Katılımcılara 5 dakika hafif tempo koşu ve Proprioseptif Nöromusküler Fasilitasyon (PNF) egzersizi uygulandı ve sonrasında dikey sıçrama performansı için CMJ (Countermovement Jump) testi ve SJ (Squad Jump) testi denge performansını belirlemek için statik ve dinamik denge testi uygulandı. Elde edilen verileri değerlendirmesinde SPSS 25 istatistik paket programı kullanıldı. Değerlendirme sonucuna göre kadın voleybolcuların CMJ ve SJ değerlerinin grup içi karşılaştırmalarında p
Objective: To evaluate the effects of different warm-up methods on the acute effect of lower limb explosive strength with the help of a reticulated meta-analysis system and to track the optimal method.
Methods: R software combined with Stata software, version 13.0, was used to analyse the outcome metrics of the 35 included papers.
Results: 1) Static combined with dynamic stretching [MD = 1.80, 95% CI: (0.43, 3.20)] and dynamic stretching [MD = 1.60, 95% CI: (0.67, 2.60)] were significantly better than controls in terms of improving reverse long jump performance, and the effect of dynamic stretching was influenced by the duration of stretching (I² = 80.4%), study population (I² = 77.2%) and age (I² = 75.6%) as moderating variables, with the most significant effect size for dynamic stretching time of 7-10 min. 2) Only dynamic stretching [MD = -0.08, 95% CI: (-0.15, -0.008)] was significantly better than the control group in terms of improving sprint performance, while static stretching [MD = 0.07, 95% CI: (0.002, 0.13)] showed a significant, negative effect. 3) No results were available to demonstrate a significant difference between other methods, such as foam axis rolling, and the control group.
Conclusion: Static stretching was able to reduce explosive performance, while the 2 warm-up methods, namely dynamic stretching and static combined with dynamic stretching, were able to significantly improve explosive performance, with dynamic stretching being the most stable and moderated by multiple variables and dynamic stretching for 7-10 min producing the best explosive performance. In the future, high-quality studies should be added based on strict adherence to test specifications.
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of dynamic and static warm-up exercises on speed and vertical jump performance in children. The ages of 22 licensed male athletes playing soccer voluntarily participated in the study are 11.77±.429 years; their heights are 145.27±7.382 cm; and their body weights are 36.00±5.050 kg. Three different warm-up protocols were applied to the participants at an interval of 48 hours. The warm-up protocol is designed as dynamic exercises (Method A), static exercises (Method B), and jogging (Method C). The participants' 30m long speed and vertical jump measurements were taken after each warm-up protocol. SPSS v24 software was used for statistical analysis. Effects of warming up methods on 30m speed and vertical jump values were examined by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Among significant relationships, post-hoc comparisons were continued with Tukey HSD and the significance level was accepted as p<0.05. As a result, it was revealed that dynamic warm-up causes a significant increase in speed and vertical jump performances, while static stretching model and jogging warm-ups do not significantly affect performance.
Regular physical activity is an important component of a healthy lifestyle. Physical activity and cardiovascular fitness are known factors in long-term health and longevity. There is strong evidence and expert recommendation that 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, and preferably all, days of the week are important for health and well-being. Exercise must be carefully prescribed based on prior fitness level, goals, and past medical history utilizing the principles of specificity and periodization. This chapter provides a brief overview of the basic fundamentals of exercise physiology, including the metabolic energy systems and the fundamentals of muscle and cardiorespiratory physiology associated with exercise. It also reviews current recommendations regarding exercise prescription for different subsets of active people.
Background and Aim: During warming up, the use of different types and timing of stretching are very critical, therefore, the
purpose of this study was to determine the acute effect of static, ballistic and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
stretching on vertical jump, agility and fifty-meter sprint performance in youth soccer players. Materials and Methods:
Among 30 youth soccer players who had at least 2 years of training experiences, eleven players were randomly selected,
and then divided into six groups, including static stretch (2×5s and 2×10s), dynamic stretch (2×5s and 2×10s) and PNF
stretch (10s×6s×15s) and control group. Counter movement jump test, balsom agility test and fifty-meter sprint performance
test were used for measuring variables. Two-way ANOVA repeated measure also was used for statistical analyzing of data,
and the significant level was set at p<0.05. Results: The result showed that ballistic stretches (2×5s and 2×10s) have significant
increase (p=0.03 & p=0.03 respectively) on vertical jump performance and 50-meter sprint performance (p=0.04 & p=0.04
respectively). The result also showed that static stretches (2×5s and 2×10s) have significant decrease on agility (p=0.02 & p=0.04,
respectively) and PNF stretch has only significant decrease on vertical jump performance (p=0.02). Conclusion: The results
showed the predominance of ballistic stretching as compared to other methods during the warming-up period. Static and
PNF stretches can also use during the short bursts, but, the static and PNF stretches more than 20 seconds, can be lead to
decrease the vertical jump, agility and fifty-meter sprint performance in youth soccer players.
The aim of this research is to establish the effect of the static stretching exercise on the anthropological status i.e. the level of morphological characteristics, motoric and functional abilities with young football players, as well as to determine the effect of regular training.
Introduction
Speed is an important prerequisite in soccer. Therefore, a large number of tests have been developed aiming to investigate several speed skills relevant to soccer. This systematic review aimed to examine the validity and reliability of speed tests used in adult soccer players.
Methods
A systematic search was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies were included if they investigated speed tests in adult soccer players and reported validity (construct and criterion) or reliability (intraday and interday) data. The tests were categorized into linear-sprint, repeated-sprint, change-of-direction sprint, agility, and tests incorporating combinations of these skills.
Results
In total, 90 studies covering 167 tests were included. Linear-sprint (n = 67) and change-of-direction sprint (n = 60) were studied most often, followed by combinations of the aforementioned (n = 21) and repeated-sprint tests (n = 15). Agility tests were examined fewest (n = 4). Mainly based on construct validity studies, acceptable validity was reported for the majority of the tests in all categories, except for agility tests, where no validity study was identified. Regarding intraday and interday reliability, ICCs>0.75 and CVs<3.0% were evident for most of the tests in all categories. These results applied for total and average times. In contrast, measures representing fatigue such as percent decrement scores indicated inconsistent validity findings. Regarding reliability, ICCs were 0.11–0.49 and CVs were 16.8–51.0%.
Conclusion
Except for agility tests, several tests for all categories with acceptable levels of validity and high levels of reliability for adult soccer players are available. Caution should be given when interpreting fatigue measures, e.g., percent decrement scores. Given the lack of accepted gold-standard tests for each category, researchers and practitioners may base their test selection on the broad database provided in this systematic review. Future research should pay attention to the criterion validity examining the relationship between test results and match parameters as well as to the development and evaluation of soccer-specific agility tests.
Historial do artigo: O presente artigo expressa uma opinião fundamentada em evidência e lógica. Foi elaborado e registado em 2013 e lançado a público no âmbito de ações de formação em várias certificações em exercício organizadas pelo autor, fazendo parte da documentação de apoio entregue aos alunos. As duas seguintes revisões (2016 e 2017) tiveram como revisor o Professor José Vilaça-Alves, onde se acrescentaram algumas secções de texto e a pesquisa científica atualizada. A versão de 2017 foi apresentada a público no 1o Congresso Internacional Exercise Summit (Oeiras, Portugal, Maio de 2017). A presente versão (2018), já tendo como revisor o Professor José Afonso Neves, é a última versão revista pelo autor, com a expansão das últimas secções, que se referem às verdadeiras causas da falta de flexibilidade e aos métodos mais vantajosos para a sua melhoria.
Problema: A capacidade motora designada de flexibilidade é uma componente importante do movimento humano e, consequentemente, do fitness físico. Contudo, a forma de desenvolvimento desta capacidade não tem sido consensual, principalmente no que respeita às causas da sua pouca expressividade. Habitualmente, esta tem sido atribuída à falta de extensibilidade muscular antagonista e não às possíveis debilidades na capacidade de coordenação entre a musculatura agonista, antagonista e sinergista do movimento, que confere o arco articular analisado. Desta forma, a utilidade do alongamento do tipo passivo estático, aplicado à musculatura antagonista, com o propósito do aumento da amplitude do movimento articular (entre outros objetivos), embora seja a intervenção mais utilizada, tem sido colocada em causa. Assim, o objetivo do presente artigo foi efetuar uma reflexão crítica sobre esta problemática, tendo como base o raciocínio lógico e a revisão da literatura científica. Será dado enfâse aos efeitos do treino da flexibilidade em diversos domínios: nos níveis de força, na prevenção de lesões, no desempenho desportivo e na estrutura e função muscular. Será, igualmente, efetuada uma reflexão sobre o efeito das diferentes técnicas de treino da flexibilidade, tais como a facilitação neuromuscular propriocetiva (PNF) e o alongamento dinâmico. Serão abordados os efeitos do treino com resistências na flexibilidade e na capacidade de produzir força.
Recursos bibliográficos: Para o efeito, foram utilizados manuais de referência em fisiologia humana (p.e. Joint Structure and Function; Principles of Neural Science), bem como da área da prescrição de exercício, e revistos cerca de 100 artigos científicos (dos quais 34 são revisões), que relacionam alongamento e/ou treino com resistências com as capacidades motoras flexibilidade e força, no desempenho desportivo, na prevenção ou incidência de lesão, na estrutura e na função neural muscular. Os estudos usados apresentam probabilidade de erro inferior a 5%, mas nem todos reportam as magnitudes dos efeitos observados (i.e., effect sizes).
Conclusões: Tendo como base a revisão da literatura científica consultada e a reflexão lógica efetuada sobre a mesma, concluímos que, à luz dos conhecimentos presentes, o alongamento do tipo passivo estático pode não ser útil na obtenção de flexibilidade ativa (funcional) e, mesmo que o seja, comportará uma diminuição dos níveis de força muscular – à custa de alterações estruturais e neurais negativas. O aumento da extensibilidade muscular – e o consequente incremento de amplitude articular –, que é verificado com o treino de alongamento, é maioritariamente causado por inibição neural aferente e eferente. São verificadas alterações nas propriedades estruturais musculares, tais como a viscoelasticidade ou o comprimento, que, apesar de contribuírem também para o acréscimo de amplitude articular, são de menor relevância que os efeitos neurais. Efeitos estes que detêm um potencial negativo nos níveis de força. O alongamento pode ter um efeito negativo no desempenho desportivo, não previne lesões e os aumentos de flexibilidade que gera, passivos apenas, não se transferem necessariamente para a amplitude funcional. O treino com resistências pode melhorar a flexibilidade ativa, mesmo com o uso de contrações musculares isométricas, além de gerar ganhos superiores nos níveis de força quando comparado com o treino de alongamento. A combinação de ambos os tipos de treino – com resistências e alongamento na mesma sessão – não é relevante o suficiente para que se considere um método superior a sessões apenas com treino com resistências. As diretrizes do ACSM, no que concerne ao treino da flexibilidade, são incoerentes e não deverão ser seguidas. Além de não cumprirem com os pressupostos que propõem, representam um investimento temporal que melhor poderia ser aplicado com outras atividades.
Aplicações práticas: Por definição e bom uso da língua portuguesa, o termo flexibilidade deverá ser substituído por melhor termo, um que expresse realmente a qualidade física que se manifesta em amplitude de movimento articular. O termo mais correto será mobilidade. É sugerida uma origem alternativa para a sua diminuída expressão, nomeadamente a falta de controlo da musculatura agonista. O autor defende o treino com resistências como método superior ao alongamento, no treino da mobilidade ativa, ganhos de força e prevenção de lesões. O cumprimento das diretrizes tradicionais de prescrição do treino com resistências, tal como apresentadas pelo ACSM, apresenta-se como suficiente para tal efeito. Contudo, recomendações mais concisas e menos generalistas são aqui descritas, ainda que sejam necessárias mais pesquisas para clarificar os parâmetros ideais (se é que existem) de construção dos exercícios para o objetivo pretendido.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of static and PNF stretching techniques on peak power, average power and fatigue index. Fifteen active male athletes were [(mean±SD) age:20,20±2,75 years; stature:176,25±7,46cm; body mass:69,23±5,38kg; body fat percent: 12,22±2,60%] participated in this study as volunteers. The athletes were performed static stretching (SS), proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) and no stretching (baseline) trials in randomized crossover manner with a two day intervals between trials. SS and PNF exercises were applied to hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles for both legs following five minutes standard warm-up. After stretching exercise protocols, Wingate 30 sec anaerobic test (WAnT) was conducted for the evaluation of anaerobic performance. Peak power (PP), Average power (AP) and Fatigue index (FI) was determined by WAnT. Repeated measures of ANOVA was used for statistical analyses. According to statistical analyses significant difference (F (2-28) = 6,771; p=0,004) was found between trials. After pairwise comparison significant difference was detected between PNF (12.70±1,06 W/kg) and SS (12.07±1,15 W/kg) trials regarding to PP, in favour of PNF. There was no significant difference between stretching trials regarding to AP (F (2-28) =0,639; p=0,535) and FI (F (2-28) =0, 56; p=0,577).
As a result of this study, SS applications after warm up have been found to cause a performance decrease in activities requiring explosive power. No decline was noticed in performance after the application of PNF stretching exercises. According to the results of this study PNF stretching exercises are more appropriatewhen stretching exercises are needed following warm-up periods, especially in the sports which require short term explosive power.
Keywords: Peak Power, Average Power, PNF, Static Stretching, Fatigue Index.
Previous research has shown that passive muscle stretching can diminish the peak force output of subsequent maximal isometric and concentric contractions. The purpose of the present study was twofold: 1. to establish if the deleterious effect of stretching on performance also exists for a skill that relies on the rate of force production for success rather than peak force generation and 2. to determine if a similar effect exists for a movement that employs a stretch-shortening action. Ten participants performed two types of maximal vertical jump with and without prior stretching of the hip and knee extensors. Both static jumps (SJ) and countermovement jumps (CMJ) were executed from a force platform. Jump height was calculated from the velocity at takeoff determined from the force/time data. Stretching induced a significant (p<0.05) decrease in jump height for both the SJ (4.4 ± 1.3%) and CMJ (4.3 ± 1.3%). Thus, it appears that pre-performance stretching exercises might negatively impact skills that demand a high power output in addition to those that rely simply on maximizing peak force. Furthermore, it is possible that this detrimental effect is comparable for skills that take advantage of the stretch-shortening phenomenon and those that do not.
The purpose of this study was to assess strength performance after an acute bout of maximally tolerable passive stretch (PS(max)) in human subjects. Ten young adults (6 men and 4 women) underwent 30 min of cyclical PS(max) (13 stretches of 135 s each over 33 min) and a similar control period (Con) of no stretch of the ankle plantarflexors. Measures of isometric strength (maximal voluntary contraction), with twitch interpolation and electromyography, and twitch characteristics were assessed before (Pre), immediately after (Post), and at 5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 min after PS(max) or Con. Compared with Pre, maximal voluntary contraction was decreased at Post (28%) and at 5 (21%), 15 (13%), 30 (12%), 45 (10%), and 60 (9%) min after PS(max) (P < 0.05). Motor unit activation and electromyogram were significantly depressed after PS(max) but had recovered by 15 min. An additional testing trial confirmed that the torque-joint angle relation may have been temporarily altered, but at Post only. These data indicate that prolonged stretching of a single muscle decreases voluntary strength for up to 1 h after the stretch as a result of impaired activation and contractile force in the early phase of deficit and by impaired contractile force throughout the entire period of deficit.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the influences of static stretching on the viscoelastic properties of human tendon structures in vivo. Seven male subjects performed static stretching in which the ankle was passively flexed to 35 degrees of dorsiflexion and remained stationary for 10 min. Before and after the stretching, the elongation of the tendon and aponeurosis of medial gastrocnemius muscle (MG) was directly measured by ultrasonography while the subjects performed ramp isometric plantar flexion up to the maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), followed by a ramp relaxation. The relationship between the estimated muscle force (Fm) of MG and tendon elongation (L) during the ascending phase was fitted to a linear regression, the slope of which was defined as stiffness of the tendon structures. The percentage of the area within the Fm-L loop to the area beneath the curve during the ascending phase was calculated as an index representing hysteresis. Stretching produced no significant change in MVC but significantly decreased stiffness and hysteresis from 22.9 +/- 5.8 to 20.6 +/- 4.6 N/mm and from 20.6 +/- 8.8 to 13.5 +/- 7.6%, respectively. The present results suggest that stretching decreased the viscosity of tendon structures but increased the elasticity.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors underlying the force loss occurring after prolonged, static, passive stretching. Subjects were tested before and 5-10 min following 20 min of static, passive stretching of the quadriceps (N=12) or a similar period of no stretch (control, N=6). Measurements included isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force, surface integrated electromyographic (iEMG) activity of the quadriceps and hamstrings, evoked contractile properties (twitch and tetanic force), and quadriceps inactivation as measured by the interpolated twitch technique (ITT). Following stretching, there was a significant 12% decrement in MVC with no significant changes in the control group. Muscle inactivation as measured by the ITT and iEMG increased by 2.8% and 20.2%, respectively. While twitch forces significantly decreased 11.7%, there was no change in tetanic force post-stretch. Although possible increases in muscle compliance affected twitch force, a lack of tetanic force change would suggest that post-stretch force decrements are more affected by muscle inactivation than changes in muscle elasticity.
The interaction between running, stretching and practice jumps during warm-up for jumping tests has not been investigated. The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of running, static stretching of the leg extensors and practice jumps on explosive force production and jumping performance.
Sixteen volunteers (13 male and 3 female) participated in five different warm-ups in a randomised order prior to the performance of two jumping tests. The warm-ups were control, 4 min run, static stretch, run + stretch, and run + stretch + practice jumps. After a 2 min rest, a concentric jump and a drop jump were performed, which yielded 6 variables expressing fast force production and jumping performance of the leg extensor muscles (concentric jump height, peak force, rate of force developed, drop jump height, contact time and height/time).
Generally the stretching warm-up produced the lowest values and the run or run + stretch + jumps warm-ups produced the highest values of explosive force production. There were no significant differences (p<0.05) between the control and run + stretch warm-ups, whereas the run yielded significantly better scores than the run + stretch warm-up for drop jump height (3.2%), concentric jump height (3.4%) and peak concentric force (2.7%) and rate of force developed (15.4%).
The results indicated that submaximum running and practice jumps had a positive effect whereas static stretching had a negative influence on explosive force and jumping performance. It was suggested that an alternative for static stretching should be considered in warm-ups prior to power activities.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of static stretching on concentric, isokinetic leg extension peak torque (PT) at 60 and 240 degrees.s(-1) in the stretched and unstretched limbs. The PT of the dominant (stretched) and nondominant (unstretched) leg extensors were measured on a calibrated Cybex 6000 dynamometer. Following the prestretching PT assessments, the dominant leg extensors were stretched using 1 active and 3 passive stretching exercises. After the stretching, PT was reassessed. The results of the statistical analyses indicated that PT decreased following the static stretching in both limbs and at both velocities (60 and 240 degrees.s(-1)). The present findings suggested that the stretching-induced decreases in PT may be related to changes in the mechanical properties of the muscle, such as an altered length-tension relationship, or a central nervous system inhibitory mechanism. Overall, these findings, in conjunction with previous studies, indicated that static stretching impairs maximal force production. Strength and conditioning professionals should consider this before incorporating static stretching in preperformance activities. Future studies are needed to identify the underlying mechanisms that influence the time course of stretching-induced decreases in maximal force production for athletes and nonathletes across the age span.
High-speed actions are known to impact soccer performance and can be categorized into actions requiring maximal speed, acceleration, or agility. Contradictory findings have been reported as to the extent of the relationship between the different speed components. This study comprised 106 professional soccer players who were assessed for 10-m sprint (acceleration), flying 20-m sprint (maximum speed), and zigzag agility performance. Although performances in the three tests were all significantly correlated (p < 0.0005), coefficients of determination (r(2)) between the tests were just 39, 12, and 21% for acceleration and maximum speed, acceleration and agility, and maximum speed and agility, respectively. Based on the low coefficients of determination, it was concluded that acceleration, maximum speed, and agility are specific qualities and relatively unrelated to one another. The findings suggest that specific testing and training procedures for each speed component should be utilized when working with elite players.
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world and is performed by men and women, children and adults with different levels of expertise. Soccer performance depends upon a myriad of factors such as technical/biomechanical, tactical, mental and physiological areas. One of the reasons that soccer is so popular worldwide is that players may not need to have an extraordinary capacity within any of these performance areas, but possess a reasonable level within all areas. However, there are trends towards more systematic training and selection influencing the anthropometric profiles of players who compete at the highest level. As with other activities, soccer is not a science, but science may help improve performance. Efforts to improve soccer performance often focus on technique and tactics at the expense of physical fitness.
During a 90-minute game, elite-level players run about 10km at an average intensity close to the anaerobic threshold (80–90% of maximal heart rate). Within this endurance context, numerous explosive bursts of activity are required, including jumping, kicking, tackling, turning, sprinting, changing pace, and sustaining forceful contractions to maintain balance and control of the ball against defensive pressure. The best teams continue to increase their physical capacities, whilst the less well ranked have similar values as reported 30 years ago. Whether this is a result of fewer assessments and training resources, selling the best players, and/or knowledge of how to perform effective exercise training regimens in less well ranked teams, is not known. As there do exist teams from lower divisions with as high aerobic capacity as professional teams, the latter factor probably plays an important role.
This article provides an update on the physiology of soccer players and referees, and relevant physiological tests. It also gives examples of effective strength- and endurance-training programmes to improve on-field performance. The cited literature has been accumulated by computer searching of relevant databases and a review of the authors’ extensive files. From a total of 9893 papers covering topics discussed in this article, 843 were selected for closer scrutiny, excluding studies where information was redundant, insufficient or the experimental design was inadequate. In this article, 181 were selected and discussed. The information may have important implications for the safety and success of soccer players and hopefully it should be understood and acted upon by coaches and individual soccer players.
The results of previous research have shown that passive muscle stretching can diminish the peak force output of subsequent maximal isometric, concentric and stretch-shortening contractions. The aim of this study was to establish whether the deleterious effects of passive stretching seen in laboratory settings would be manifest in a performance setting. Sixteen members (11 males, 5 females) of a Division I NCAA track athletics team performed electronically timed 20 m sprints with and without prior stretching of the legs. The experiment was done as part of each athlete's Monday work-out programme. Four different stretch protocols were used, with each protocol completed on a different day. Hence, the test period lasted 4 weeks. The four stretching protocols were no-stretch of either leg (NS), both legs stretched (BS), forward leg in the starting position stretched (FS) and rear leg in the starting position stretched (RS). Three stretching exercises (hamstring stretch, quadriceps stretch, calf stretch) were used for the BS, FS and RS protocols. Each stretching exercise was performed four times, and each time the stretch was maintained for 30 s. The BS, FS and RS protocols induced a significant (P < 0.05) increase (approximately 0.04 s) in the 20 m time. Thus, it appears that pre-event stretching might negatively impact the performance of high-power short-term exercise.
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different modes of stretching within a pre-exercise warm-up on high-speed motor capacities important to soccer performance. Eighteen professional soccer players were tested for countermovement vertical jump, stationary 10-m sprint, flying 20-m sprint, and agility performance after different warm-ups consisting of static stretching, dynamic stretching, or no stretching. There was no significant difference among warm-ups for the vertical jump: mean +/- SD data were 40.4 +/- 4.9 cm (no stretch), 39.4 +/- 4.5 cm (static), and 40.2 +/- 4.5 cm (dynamic). The dynamic-stretch protocol produced significantly faster 10-m sprint times than did the no-stretch protocol: 1.83 +/- 0.08 seconds (no stretch), 1.85 +/- 0.08 seconds (static), and 1.87 +/- 0.09 seconds (dynamic). The dynamic- and static-stretch protocols produced significantly faster flying 20-m sprint times than did the no-stretch protocol: 2.41 +/- 0.13 seconds (no stretch), 2.37 +/- 0.12 seconds (static), and 2.37 +/- 0.13 seconds (dynamic). The dynamic-stretch protocol produced significantly faster agility performance than did both the no-stretch protocol and the static-stretch protocol: 5.20 +/- 0.16 seconds (no stretch), 5.22 +/- 0.18 seconds (static), and 5.14 +/- 0.17 seconds (dynamic). Static stretching does not appear to be detrimental to high-speed performance when included in a warm-up for professional soccer players. However, dynamic stretching during the warm-up was most effective as preparation for subsequent high-speed performance.
The purpose of the present study was to clarify the effect of static stretching on muscular performance during concentric isotonic (dynamic constant external resistance [DCER]) muscle actions under various loads. Concentric DCER leg extension power outputs were assessed in 12 healthy male subjects after 2 types of pretreatment. The pretreatments included (a) static stretching treatment performing 6 types of static stretching on leg extensors (4 sets of 30 seconds each with 20-second rest periods; total duration 20 minutes) and (b) nonstretching treatment by resting for 20 minutes in a sitting position. Loads during assessment of the power output were set to 5, 30, and 60% of the maximum voluntary contractile (MVC) torque with isometric leg extension in each subject. The peak power output following the static stretching treatment was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that following the nonstretching treatment under each load (5% MVC, 418.0 +/- 82.2 W vs. 466.2 +/- 89.5 W; 30% MVC, 506.4 +/- 82.8 W vs. 536.4 +/- 97.0 W; 60% MVC, 478.6 +/- 77.5 W vs. 523.8 +/- 97.8 W). The present study demonstrated that relatively extensive static stretching significantly reduces power output with concentric DCER muscle actions under various loads. Common power activities are carried out by DCER muscle actions under various loads. Therefore, the result of the present study suggests that relatively extensive static stretching decreases power performance.
The aim of this study was to investigate the acute effects of prior exercise (warm-up and stretching) on the electromyographic and force output of mechanically elicited triceps surae reflexes. Fifty male subjects performed eight reflex experiments under each of three successive conditions in one session: (1) no prior exercise, (2) after static stretching of the passive triceps surae (3 min) and (3) after a 10-min warm-up run on a treadmill. Tendon tap reflex force was elicited in the triceps surae of the right leg by means of a standardized reflex hammer and measured in a custom-built fixture. Electromyographic (EMG) signals were recorded with surface electrodes over the medial head of the gastrocnemius (G) and the soleus (S). Low coefficients of variation within subjects contrasted with high between-subject variations, indicating highly individual reflex characteristics. After stretching, reductions in the peak force (-5%; P < 0.05), the force rise rate (-8%; P < 0.01), the half relaxation rate (-5%; N.S.), the EMG amplitudes (G, -16%; S, -17%; P < 0.01) and integrals (G, -15%; S, -18%; P < 0.01), and an increase in EMG latencies (G, +3%; S, +1%; P < 0.01), were found compared with the values obtained without prior exercise. After running, the peak force reached the values obtained without prior exercise (-2%; N.S.), the force rise rate and half relaxation rate increased by 8 and 12%, respectively (P < 0.01), and the impulse (force-time integral; -12%), EMG amplitudes (G, -20%; S, -23%; P < 0.01), integrals (G, -18%; S, -23%; P < 0.01) and latencies (G, -1%; S, -2%; P < 0.01) decreased significantly. The changes in the force characteristics observed after the stretching treatment indicate improved muscle compliance that might reduce the risk of injury. On the other hand, the changes after the additional warm-up run had a more pronounced influence with regard to improved force development and a decreased EMG activity, which can be viewed as a performance-enhancing effect.
To determine the effects of stretching before and after exercising on muscle soreness after exercise, risk of injury, and athletic performance.
Systematic review.
Randomised or quasi-randomised studies identified by searching Medline, Embase, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, and PEDro, and by recursive checking of bibliographies.
Muscle soreness, incidence of injury, athletic performance.
Five studies, all of moderate quality, reported sufficient data on the effects of stretching on muscle soreness to be included in the analysis. Outcomes seemed homogeneous. Stretching produced small and statistically non-significant reductions in muscle soreness. The pooled estimate of reduction in muscle soreness 24 hours after exercising was only 0.9 mm on a 100 mm scale (95% confidence interval -2.6 mm to 4.4 mm). Data from two studies on army recruits in military training show that muscle stretching before exercising does not produce useful reductions in injury risk (pooled hazard ratio 0.95, 0.78 to 1.16).
Stretching before or after exercising does not confer protection from muscle soreness. Stretching before exercising does not seem to confer a practically useful reduction in the risk of injury, but the generality of this finding needs testing. Insufficient research has been done with which to determine the effects of stretching on sporting performance.
We conducted a systematic review to assess the evidence for the effectiveness of stretching as a tool to prevent injuries in sports and to make recommendations for research and prevention.
Without language limitations, we searched electronic data bases, including MEDLINE (1966-2002), Current Contents (1997-2002), Biomedical Collection (1993-1999), the Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus, and then identified citations from papers retrieved and contacted experts in the field. Meta-analysis was limited to randomized trials or cohort studies for interventions that included stretching. Studies were excluded that lacked controls, in which stretching could not be assessed independently, or where studies did not include subjects in sporting or fitness activities. All articles were screened initially by one author. Six of 361 identified articles compared stretching with other methods to prevent injury. Data were abstracted by one author and then reviewed independently by three others. Data quality was assessed independently by three authors using a previously standardized instrument, and reviewers met to reconcile substantive differences in interpretation. We calculated weighted pooled odds ratios based on an intention-to-treat analysis as well as subgroup analyses by quality score and study design.
Stretching was not significantly associated with a reduction in total injuries (OR = 0.93, CI 0.78-1.11) and similar findings were seen in the subgroup analyses.
There is not sufficient evidence to endorse or discontinue routine stretching before or after exercise to prevent injury among competitive or recreational athletes. Further research, especially well-conducted randomized controlled trials, is urgently needed to determine the proper role of stretching in sports.
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different static and dynamic stretch protocols on 20-m sprint performance. The 97 male rugby union players were assigned randomly to 4 groups: passive static stretch (PSS; n = 28), active dynamic stretch (ADS; n = 22), active static stretch (ASST; n = 24), and static dynamic stretch (SDS; n = 23). All groups performed a standard 10-minute jog warm-up, followed by two 20-m sprints. The 20-m sprints were then repeated after subjects had performed different stretch protocols. The PSS and ASST groups had a significant increase in sprint time (p < or = 0.05), while the ADS group had a significant decrease in sprint time (p < or = 0.05). The decrease in sprint time, observed in the SDS group, was found to be nonsignificant (p > or = 0.05). The decrease in performance for the 2 static stretch groups was attributed to an increase in the musculotendinous unit (MTU) compliance, leading to a decrease in the MTU ability to store elastic energy in its eccentric phase. The reason why the ADS group improved performance is less clear, but could be linked to the rehearsal of specific movement patterns, which may help increase coordination of subsequent movement. It was concluded that static stretching as part of a warm-up may decrease short sprint performance, whereas active dynamic stretching seems to increase 20-m sprint performance.
The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of static stretching on peak torque (PT), the joint angle at PT, mean power output (MP), electromyographic (EMG) amplitude, and mechanomyographic (MMG) amplitude of the vastus lateralis (VL) and rectus femoris (RF) muscles during maximal, voluntary concentric isokinetic leg extensions at 60 and 240 degrees x s(-1) of the stretched and unstretched limbs. Twenty-one volunteers [mean age (SD) 21.5 (1.3) years] performed maximal, voluntary concentric isokinetic leg extensions for the dominant and non-dominant limbs at 60 and 240 degrees x s(-1). Surface EMG (muVrms) and MMG (mVrms) signals were recorded from the VL and RF muscles during the isokinetic tests. PT (Nm), the joint angle at PT, and MP (W) were calculated by a dynamometer. Following the initial isokinetic tests, the dominant leg extensors were stretched using four static stretching exercises. After the stretching, the isokinetic tests were repeated. PT decreased (P< or =0.05) from pre- to post-stretching for the stretched limb at 60 and 240 degrees x s(-1) and for the unstretched limb at 60 degrees x s(-1). EMG amplitude of the VL and RF also decreased (P< or =0.05) from pre- to post-stretching for the stretched and unstretched limbs. There were no stretching-induced changes (P>0.05) for the joint angle at PT, MP, or MMG amplitude. These findings indicated stretching-induced decreases in force production and muscle activation. The decreases in PT and EMG amplitude for the unstretched limb suggested that the stretching-induced decreases may be due to a central nervous system inhibitory mechanism.
Traditionally stretching has been included as part of a warm-up that precedes athletic participation. However, there is mixed evidence as to whether stretching actually enhances or hinders athletic performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of static (SS) and ballistic stretching (BS) on vertical jump (VJ) performance and to investigate whether power was altered at 15 and 30 minutes after stretching. Sixteen actively trained women performed a series of vertical jumps (countermovement and drop jumps) after an initial nonstretching (NS) session and after participating in BS and SS sessions that were conducted in a balanced and randomized order. The results indicated that there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) in VJ scores as a result of static or ballistic stretching, elapsed time, or initial flexibility scores. This suggests that stretching prior to competition may not negatively affect the performance of trained women.
Since strength and muscular strength endurance are linked, it is possible that the inhibitory influence that prior stretching has on strength can also extend to the reduction of muscle strength endurance. To date, however, studies measuring muscle strength endurance poststretching have been criticized because of problems with their reliability. The purpose of this study was twofold: both the muscle strength endurance performance after acute static stretching exercises and the repeatability of those differences were measured. Two separate experiments were conducted. In experiment 1, the knee-flexion muscle strength endurance exercise was measured by exercise performed at 60 and 40% of body weight following either a no-stretching or stretching regimen. In experiment 2, using a test-retest protocol, a knee-flexion muscle strength endurance exercise was performed at 50% body weight on 4 different days, with 2 tests following a no-stretching regimen (RNS) and 2 tests following a stretching regimen (RST). For experiment 1, when exercise was performed at 60% of body weight, stretching significantly (p < 0.05) reduced muscle strength endurance by 24%, and at 40% of body weight, it was reduced by 9%. For experiment 2, reliability was high (RNS, intraclass correlation = 0.94; RST, intraclass correlation = 0.97). Stretching also significantly (p < 0.05) reduced muscle strength endurance by 28%. Therefore, it is recommended that heavy static stretching exercises of a muscle group be avoided prior to any performances requiring maximal muscle strength endurance.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of static stretching of the gastrocnemius muscle on maximal vertical jump performance using electromyographic activity (EMG) of the gastrocnemius musculature to record muscle activation during vertical jump performance. Fourteen healthy adults (8 men and 6 women) aged 18-34 years, who were familiar with the vertical jumping task and had no lower extremity injuries or any bone or joint disorders within the past year, served as participants for this study. After a brief warm-up, participants performed the following sequence: (a) three baseline maximal vertical jump trials, (b) 15 minutes of quiet sitting and three 30-second bilateral static stretches of the gastrocnemius muscles, and (c) 3 maximal vertical jump trials. Jump height data were collected using the Kistler force plate, while muscle activity was recorded during the jumping and stretching trials using a Noraxon telemetry EMG unit. Vertical jump height data as well as EMG values were averaged for the 3 trials and analyzed using paired t-tests for pre- and poststretching (alpha = 0.05). Vertical jump height was 5.6% lower when poststretch heights were compared with prestretch heights (t = -4.930, p < 0.005). Gastrocnemius EMG was 17.9% greater when the EMG during poststretch jumps was compared with prestretch jumps (t = 2.805, p < 0.02). The results from this study imply that, despite increased gastrocnemius muscle activity, static stretching of the gastrocnemius muscles had a negative effect on maximal jumping performance. The practical importance concerns coaches and athletes, who may want to consider the potential adverse effects of performing static stretching of the gastrocnemius muscles only before a jumping event, as jump height may be negatively affected. Future research is required to identify the mechanisms that affect vertical jump performance.
The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of different modes of stretching on vertical jump performance. Eighteen male university students (age, 24.3 +/- 3.2 years; height, 181.5 +/- 11.4 cm; body mass, 78.1 +/- 6.4 kg; mean +/- SD) completed 4 different conditions in a randomized order, on different days, interspersed by a minimum of 72 hours of rest. Each session consisted of a standard 5-minute cycle warm-up, accompanied by one of the subsequent conditions: (a) control, (b) 10-minute static stretching, (c) 10-minute ballistic stretching, or (d) 10-minute proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching. The subjects performed 3 trials of static and countermovement jumps prior to stretching and poststretching at 5, 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes. Vertical jump height decreased after static and PNF stretching (4.0% and 5.1%, p < 0.05) and there was a smaller decrease after ballistic stretching (2.7%, p > 0.05). However, jumping performance had fully recovered 15 minutes after all stretching conditions. In conclusion, vertical jump performance is diminished for 15 minutes if performed after static or PNF stretching, whereas ballistic stretching has little effect on jumping performance. Consequently, PNF or static stretching should not be performed immediately prior to an explosive athletic movement.
- Mj Alter
Alter, MJ. Science of Stretching. Champaign: Human Kinetics, 1988.
Acute muscle stretching inhibits maximal strength performance
- J Kokkenen
- Ag Nelson
- A Cornwell
Kokkenen, J, Nelson, AG, and Cornwell, A. Acute muscle stretching
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411–415, 1998.
Acute muscle stretching inhibits muscle strength endurance performance
- Ag Nelson
- J Kokkenen
- Da Arnall
Nelson, AG, Kokkenen, J, and Arnall, DA. Acute muscle stretching
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Physiology of soccer: an update
- T Stolen
- K Chamari
- C Castagna
- U Wisloff
Stolen, T, Chamari, K, Castagna, C, and Wisloff, U. Physiology of
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