Stretching: Mechanisms and Benefits for Sport Performance and Injury Prevention

Weerapong, Pornratshanee; Hume, Patria; Kolt, Gregory S.

doi:10.1179/108331904225007078

Cited by 79 publications

(54 citation statements)

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“…These practices parallel those of English professional football clubs, where static stretching was reported as being the most popular technique to be used, and that it was also commonly used in combination with PNF stretching [1]. 25% of the coaches used ballistic stretching for the hamstrings although it has been suggested in the literature that ballistic stretching has more potential than other stretching techniques to cause injury to the muscle [22].…”

Section: Stretching Practicesmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…Some authors found that a bout of static stretching decreased maximal voluntary force for up to two hours [19,20]. On the other hand, dynamic stretching protocols may be beneficial for explosive type of activities [21] and may be useful for increasing flexibility without decreasing athletic performance [22].…”

Section: Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Stretchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Increased flexibility (i.e. more compliant muscle) may help to reduce the risk of injury [22] and may benefit performance in football which involves a high intensity of stretch-shortening cycles [24].…”

Section: Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Stretchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The popularity of static stretching may be explained by its simplicity of application [22]. PNF stretching alone and ballistic stretching alone were less popular among football coaches.…”

Section: Stretching Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The majority advised a static stretch holding time of 10 -14 seconds. Changes in viscoelasticity of musculotendinous units depend more on the duration of stretch rather than the number of stretches or the length of the stretching training period [22]. Previous studies tend to suggest that a static stretch holding time of 15 to 30 seconds is the most effective for gaining muscle flexibility [1].…”

Section: Stretching Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stretching in the prevention of hamstring strains: Attitudes, beliefs and current practices among football coaches in Mauritius

Chan¹,

Mahomoodally²,

Veeren³

2012

OJPM

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Context and Objective: Hamstring strain is a common injury in football and it causes a significant amount of time lost from competition and training. Since poor flexibility is thought to predispose to muscle strain, stretching is routinely recommended during warm-up routines by coaches to prevent injuries. However, available evidence suggests that pre-exercise stretching (PES), especially static stretching, has no benefit on injury rates and may even reduce performance in explosive type activities. We designed this study to assess the attitudes, beliefs and practices of football coaches regarding stretching in the prevention of hamstring strains. Design: A cross-sectional survey. Setting: Mauritius Football Association (MFA). Participants: 26 football coaches registered with the MFA. Intervention: Questionnaires were distributed to football coaches of the MFA via sports officers. Questionnaires were then collected two weeks after distribution. Main Outcome Measures: Attitudes, beliefs and practices of football coaches regarding stretching in the prevention of hamstring strains. Results: MFA coaches held generally positive attitudes and beliefs towards stretching. 88% of coaches felt that PES is beneficial and 93% believed that PES prevents hamstring strains. The majority of coaches recommended stretching after warming up (81%) and after the training session (93%). 76% of coaches also advised stretching outside the training sessions. 96% of coaches used static stretching to stretch the hamstrings. The hamstrings were stretched on average for 4 times at each training session and the mean duration of a static stretch was 12 seconds. Conclusions: Nearly all coaches believed that PES prevents hamstring strains although evidence is limited. Some of the coaches' beliefs and practices were not in line with current recommendations. Coaches reported that their stretching practices would be most likely influenced by scientific research. Thus there is an urgent need to devise awareness and training programmes in this area.

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Section: Stretching Practicesmentioning

confidence: 72%

Section: Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Stretchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Attitudes and Beliefs Towards Stretchingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The popularity of static stretching may be explained by its simplicity of application [22]. PNF stretching alone and ballistic stretching alone were less popular among football coaches.…”

Section: Stretching Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Stretching Practicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations