The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of static and dynamic stretching on quadriceps muscle activation during maximal soccer instep kicking. The kicking motion of twelve male college soccer players (body height: 174.66 ± 5.01 cm; body mass: 72.83 ± 4.83 kg; age: 18.83 ± 0.75 years) was captured using six synchronized high-speed infra-red cameras whilst electromyography (EMG) sign...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of a 6-wk ballistic stretching training program on various parameters of the human gastrocnemius medialis muscle and the Achilles tendon. It is known that ballistic stretching is an appropriate means of increasing the range of motion (RoM), but information in the literature about the mechanical adaptation of the muscle-tendon unit (MTU)...

PURPOSE Previous studies report that static stretching (SS) impairs running economy. Assuming that pacing strategy relies on rate of energy use, this study aimed to determine whether SS would modify pacing strategy and performance in a 3-km running time-trial. METHODS Eleven recreational distance runners performed a) a constant-speed running test without previous SS and a maximal incremental ...

The main aim of the study was to examine the acute effects of static and dynamic stretching during warm-up on the sprinting speed of amateur soccer players. The secondary aim was to determine the acute effect of stretching on the lower extremities flexibility. Eighteen adult athletes participated in the study, randomly performing 3 distinct flexibility protocols on non-consecutive training sess...

Background: Lack of hamstrings flexibility has been reported to be one of the most important factors contributing to hamstrings injury during high-speed and high-intensity exercise. Active stretching of hamstrings has been found to be more beneficial than passive stretching after 4 weeks. Objective: To compare the effects of two active stretching techniquesmodified hold relax technique of PNF a...