stretching & jumping

[coach hale]

J Strength Cond Res. 2007 Feb;21(1):223-6. Links
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. -email-

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.fficeffice" />

Questions

Would the results have differed if the protocols were 5min in duration?

What were the rest intervals between each stretch?

It is common to see athletes spend excessive time stretching before an event, generally static stretching. When I was a MMA Promoter I would watch competitors backstage sit in the splits 15-20 minutes. This type of excessive static stretching is detrimental to MMA performance.

A light-moderate volume of static stretching may not be detrimental to performance. When considering a stretching program it's also important to consider the type of activity you will be performing. Dynamic range of motion exercises are what I recommend in most cases , however there are exceptions.

Thanks
Coach Hale
www.maxcondition.com