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Relaxation of Skeletal Muscles01:29

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Correlation between acute and short-term changes in flexibility using two stretching techniques.

N B Beltrão1, R M Ritti-Dias2, A C R Pitangui3

  • 1Department of Physical Education, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.

International Journal of Sports Medicine
|August 22, 2014
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Acute flexibility gains from a single stretching session predict outcomes from longer training programs. Both static stretching (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) showed similar effectiveness in enhancing flexibility.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Kinesiology
  • Rehabilitation Science

Background:

  • Flexibility is crucial for athletic performance and injury prevention.
  • Understanding predictors of training response can optimize exercise prescription.
  • Static stretching (SS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) are common flexibility techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if acute flexibility increases after one session predict gains from short-term stretching programs.
  • To compare the predictive value of acute changes for SS versus PNF techniques.

Main Methods:

  • 70 adults (18-30 years) were randomized into PNF or SS groups.
  • Intervention involved 7 consecutive days of stretching.
  • Active knee extension measured pre- and post-session and post-intervention.

Main Results:

  • Both PNF and SS groups demonstrated significant flexibility improvements.
  • No significant difference in flexibility gains was observed between the two groups.
  • Acute flexibility changes after the first session strongly correlated with changes after the 7-day program (r=0.82 for both).
  • Initial flexibility increases predicted subsequent gains in both PNF (R²=0.67) and SS (R²=0.61) groups.

Conclusions:

  • Acute flexibility improvements following a single session are reliable predictors of outcomes from short-term SS and PNF training.
  • The magnitude of flexibility change after one session can inform expectations for longer training periods.