ACUTE STATIC STRETCH EFFECTS ON MULTIPLE BOUTS OF VERTICAL JUMP

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute effects of static stretching on vertical jumping and the ground reaction force kinetics when stretching was implemented between multiple performance bouts. Fifty-two young adults were randomly assigned to a control or stretch condition, each group performing four sets of three jumps. After the initial jump series, subjects in the stretch condition performed a set of four unilateral lower extremity stretches, holding each stretch for 30 s on each leg. Vertical jump height and time had a significant interaction effect (p<0.05), the stretch group had a significant decrease in jump height only after the first jump. Vertical jump kinetics was not significantly affected from one series to another or between the two conditions. Stretching between exercise bouts had a small, significant effect on the product of the jump, but no effect on the ground reaction force kinetics. No cumulative effects were found across jumps after subsequent stretching.