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Preexercise static stretching effect on leaping performance in elite rhythmic gymnasts.

Alessandra Di Cagno1, Carlo Baldari, Claudia Battaglia

  • 1Department for Health Sciences, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy.

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Static stretching negatively impacts rhythmic gymnastics leaps, reducing flight time and judges' scores. This warm-up method may hinder overall performance in elite gymnasts.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Science
  • Biomechanics
  • Rhythmic Gymnastics Performance Analysis

Background:

  • Static stretching (SS) is a common warm-up method, but its effects on dynamic, skill-specific movements like rhythmic gymnastics leaps are not fully understood.
  • Rhythmic gymnastics requires a combination of explosive power, flexibility, and precise execution, making optimal warm-up strategies crucial for performance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the acute effects of static stretching (SS) compared to a typical warm-up (TWU) on technical leaps performance in rhythmic gymnasts.
  • To analyze the impact of SS on flight time (FT) and ground contact time (GCT) during vertical jumps and technical leaps.
  • To determine the relationship between kinematic parameters (FT, GCT) and judges' scores for technical leaps.

Main Methods:

  • Thirty-eight elite rhythmic gymnasts performed vertical jumps and technical leaps under two conditions: after SS and after TWU.
  • OptoJump system was used to measure flight time (FT) and ground contact time (GCT) for all jumps and leaps.
  • Judges' scores were recorded for technical leaps, and multiple regression analysis was used to assess the predictive value of FT and GCT on these scores.

Main Results:

  • Static stretching did not affect vertical jump flight time but significantly increased ground contact time for the hopping test.
  • Technical leaps exhibited significantly reduced flight time (6.4–7.2%) and no significant change in ground contact time following static stretching.
  • Judges' scores for technical leaps were significantly reduced after static stretching, with flight time being a key predictor of performance scores.

Conclusions:

  • Static stretching before performance may negatively influence rhythmic gymnasts' technical leaps by reducing flight time and overall execution quality.
  • The findings suggest that typical warm-up routines, rather than static stretching alone, are more beneficial for optimizing rhythmic gymnastics leap performance.
  • Coaches and athletes should reconsider the inclusion of static stretching as a pre-performance warm-up strategy in rhythmic gymnastics to avoid potential detriments to skill execution and scoring.