The Acute Effects of Static and Ballistic Stretching on Vertical Jump Performance in Trained Women

Traditionally stretching has been included as part of a warm-up that precedes athletic participation. However, there is mixed evidence as to whether stretching actually enhances or hinders athletic performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of static (SS) and ballistic stretching (BS) on vertical jump (VJ) performance and to investigate whether power was altered at 15 and 30 minutes after stretching. Sixteen actively trained women performed a series of vertical jumps (countermovement and drop jumps) after an initial nonstretching (NS) session and after participating in BS and SS sessions that were conducted in a balanced and randomized order. The results indicated that there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) in VJ scores as a result of static or ballistic stretching, elapsed time, or initial flexibility scores. This suggests that stretching prior to competition may not negatively affect the performance of trained women.