The Effects of Two Stretching Protocols on the Reactive Strength Index in Female Soccer and Rugby Players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of 2 stretching protocols on stretch-shortening cycle performance in female Division I soccer players and female club rugby players. Fifteen soccer and rugby players (20.1 ± 5.9 years, 170.5 ± 14.2 cm, 70.4 ± 22.3 kg) participated in 3 test sessions with different treatments. The first treatment involved a warm-up of 10 minutes of exercise on a cycle ergometer (warm-up only [WO]), the second was this warm-up followed by static stretching (SS), and the third was this warm-up followed by dynamic stretching (DS). The treatments were administered randomly to negate an order effect. Each treatment was immediately followed by a reactive strength index (RSI) test requiring the athletes to drop off a box (45 cm in height) on to a force plate and upon landing immediately jump into the air while minimizing contact time (CT, milliseconds) and maximizing flight time (FT, milliseconds). The RSI was FT: CT. Repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that a significant treatment effect existed for RSI (F = 7.95, 2; p = 0.002) and FT (F = 7.43, 2; p = 0.003) but no significant effect for CT (F = 1.53, 2; p = 0.235). The RSI and FT were significantly greater in DS compared with that in SS and WO. Dynamic stretching is the preferred warm-up before an athletic event involving considerable jumping.

Acute effects of two different stretching techniques on isokinetic strength and power

“…When static and dynamic stretching treatments were compared, the results of the current study showed that dynamic stretching reported slightly higher scores than static stretching (d > 0.15; percentage change ranged form 1.2 to 14.7) for most of the strength and power variables. Therefore, this finding supports the recent claims that suggest that dynamic stretching is preferable to static stretching as part of a warm-up designed to prepare for physical activity due to the possible enhancement of muscular performance 11,[33][34][35][36][37] ; and the similar acute increases in static flexibility as static stretching. 38,39 Another important clinical question is whether the effects of stretching of knee flexor and extensor muscle groups, which are closely related to the actual demands of sport on strength performance, elicit a similar response, in order to make evidence-based recommendations.…”

Acute static stretching with different volumes improves hamstring flexibility but not reactive strength index and leg stiffness in well-trained judo athletes

“…While some of the previous studies reported no change, or an increase in RSI and Kleg after SS (Henriquez-Olguin et al, 2015;Stafilidis and Tilp, 2015;Werstein & Lund, 2012;Hobara et al, 2011;Hoge et al, 2010;Tsolakis et al, 2010), others reported that RSI and Kleg were negatively affected by SS (Konrad et al, 2017;Miyamoto et al, 2017; VOLUME --| ISSUE -| 2020 | 3 Taniguchi et al, 2015;Pasqua et al, 2014;Akagi and Takahashi, 2013;Mizuno et al, 2013;Kallerud and Gleeson, 2013;Ryan et al, 2008;Reid and McNair, 2004). These contradictory results might be due to sex and physical fitness level of the subjects, the SS program (intensity, volume), and the devices used for measuring RSI and Kleg (Miyamoto et al, 2017;Pasqua et al, 2014;Akagi and Takahashi, 2013;Werstein and Lund, 2012;Hobara et al, 2011;Reid and McNair, 2004). Indeed, the device used for measurement (accelerometric system, force plate, elastography, different mathematical models) is considered to be the most important factor to affect the results (Taniguchi et al, 2015;Werstein and Lund, 2012;Tsolakis et al, 2010;Lloyd et al, 2009;Reid and McNair, 2004).…”

“…RSI has been described as a simple tool to monitor stress on the MTU and to quantify plyometric or SSC performance (Werstein et al, 2012;Flanagan et al, 2008). While Pasqua et al (2014) reported that JH, GCT, and RSI were negatively influenced by a 10 min SS exercise, Tsolakis et al (2010) argued that 6 min SS exercises had no significant effects on squat jump (SJ) height, RSI, and GCT performance of well-trained fencers, either positively or negatively.…”

“…Although RSI and Kleg are important in monitoring muscle performance, there is no clear conclusion on the effects of different volumes of SS on RSI and Kleg, and previous studies have reported contradictory results (Konrad et al, 2017;Miyamoto et al, 2017;Stafilidis & Tilp, 2015;Taniguchi et al, 2015;Pasqua et al, 2014;Akagi and Takahashi, 2013;Mizuno et al, 2013;Kallerud and Gleeson, 2013;Werstein and Lund, 2012;Hobara et al, 2011;Hoge et al, 2010;Ryan et al, 2008;Reid and McNair, 2004). While some of the previous studies reported no change, or an increase in RSI and Kleg after SS (Henriquez-Olguin et al, 2015;Stafilidis and Tilp, 2015;Werstein & Lund, 2012;Hobara et al, 2011;Hoge et al, 2010;Tsolakis et al, 2010), others reported that RSI and Kleg were negatively affected by SS (Konrad et al, 2017;Miyamoto et al, 2017; VOLUME --| ISSUE -| 2020 | 3 Taniguchi et al, 2015;Pasqua et al, 2014;Akagi and Takahashi, 2013;Mizuno et al, 2013;Kallerud and Gleeson, 2013;Ryan et al, 2008;Reid and McNair, 2004). These contradictory results might be due to sex and physical fitness level of the subjects, the SS program (intensity, volume), and the devices used for measuring RSI and Kleg (Miyamoto et al, 2017;Pasqua et al, 2014;Akagi and Takahashi, 2013;Werstein and Lund, 2012;Hobara et al, 2011;Reid and McNair, 2004).…”

“…These contradictory results might be due to sex and physical fitness level of the subjects, the SS program (intensity, volume), and the devices used for measuring RSI and Kleg (Miyamoto et al, 2017;Pasqua et al, 2014;Akagi and Takahashi, 2013;Werstein and Lund, 2012;Hobara et al, 2011;Reid and McNair, 2004). Indeed, the device used for measurement (accelerometric system, force plate, elastography, different mathematical models) is considered to be the most important factor to affect the results (Taniguchi et al, 2015;Werstein and Lund, 2012;Tsolakis et al, 2010;Lloyd et al, 2009;Reid and McNair, 2004).…”