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Acute effect of static stretching on power output during concentric dynamic constant external resistance leg extension.

Yamaguchi T, Ishii K, Yamanaka M, Yasuda K.
Laboratory of Human Performance and Fitness, Graduate School of Education, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan. taichi@rakuno.ac.jp
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.
PMID: 17194246 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]



Duration of static stretching influences muscle force production in hamstring muscles.

Ogura Y, Miyahara Y, Naito H, Katamoto S, Aoki J.
Department of Exercise Physiology, School of Health and Sports Science, Juntendo University, Chiba, Japan. yuji-ogura@sakura.juntendo.ac.jp
The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether duration of static stretching could affect the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC).Volunteer male subjects (n = 10) underwent 2 different durations of static stretching of their hamstring muscles in the dominant leg: 30 and 60 seconds. No static stretching condition was used as a control condition. Before and after each stretching trial, hamstring flexibility was measured by a sit and reach test. MVC was then measured using the maximal effort of knee flexion. The hamstring flexibility was significantly increased by 30 and 60 seconds of static stretching (control: 0.5 +/- 1.1 cm; 30 seconds: 2.1 +/- 1.8 cm; 60 seconds: 3.0 +/- 1.6 cm); however, there was no significant difference between 30 and 60 seconds of static stretching conditions. The MVC was significantly lowered with 60 seconds of static stretching compared to the control and 30 seconds of the stretching conditions (control: 287.6 +/- 24.0 N; 30 seconds: 281.8 +/- 24.2 N; 60 seconds: 262.4 +/- 36.2 N). However, there was no significant difference between control and 30 seconds of static stretching conditions. Therefore, it was concluded that the short duration (30 seconds) of static stretching did not have a negative effect on the muscle force production.
PMID: 17685679 [PubMed - in process]

The effect of static, ballistic, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on vertical jump performance.

Bradley PS, Olsen PD, Portas MD.
Sport and Exercise Group, University of Teesside, UK. paul.s.bradley@sunderland.ac.uk
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.
PMID: 17313299 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

An acute bout of static stretching: effects on force and jumping performance.

Power K, Behm D, Cahill F, Carroll M, Young W.
School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada.
INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to examine whether a static stretching (SS) routine decreased isometric force, muscle activation, and jump power while improving range of motion (ROM). Second, the study attempted to compare the duration of the dependent variable changes with the duration of the change in ROM. METHODS: Twelve participants were tested pre- and post- (POST, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min) SS of the quadriceps and plantar flexors (PF) or a similar period of no stretch (control). Measurements during isometric contractions included maximal voluntary force (MVC), evoked contractile properties (peak twitch and tetanus), surface integrated electromyographic (iEMG) activity of the agonist and antagonistic muscle groups, and muscle inactivation as measured by the interpolated twitch technique (ITT). Vertical jump (VJ) measurements included unilateral concentric-only (no countermovement) jump height as well as drop jump height and contact time. ROM associated with seated hip flexion, prone hip extension, and plantar flexion-dorsiflexion was also recorded. RESULTS: After SS, there were significant overall 9.5% and 5.4% decrements in the torque or force of the quadriceps for MVC and ITT, respectively. Force remained significantly decreased for 120 min (10.4%), paralleling significant percentage increases (6%) in sit and reach ROM (120 min). After SS, there were no significant changes in jump performance or PF measures. CONCLUSION: The parallel duration of changes in ROM and quadriceps isometric force might suggest an association between stretch-induced changes in muscle compliance and isometric force output.
PMID: 15292748 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]