Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 2, 2026
Muscle Imbalances: Testing and Training Functional Eccentric Hamstring Strength in Athletic Populations
Published on: May 1, 2018
Acute Effects of Static Stretching and Mulligan Bent Leg Raise on Hamstring Flexibility and Jumping Performance in
Tahir Keskin1, Mesut Ergan1, Zeliha Başkurt1
1Süleyman Demirel University Faculty of Health Sciences Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Department, Isparta, Turkey.
Objectives:
This study compared the acute effects of static stretching (SS) and the Mulligan bent leg raise (BLR) technique on hamstring flexibility and jumping performance in asymptomatic young adults.
Methods:
Forty-two participants with bilateral hamstring tightness were randomly assigned to the SS or BLR group (n = 21 each). Active knee extension (AKE), vertical jump (VJ), and single-leg hop (SLH) performance were assessed before and immediately after a single intervention session.
Results:
A significant main effect of time was found for all outcomes (p < 0.05). Significant time × method interactions were observed for AKE and SLH, but not for VJ. The BLR group showed greater improvements in hamstring flexibility (AKE: +6.38°) compared with the SS group (+2.10°). SLH performance improved more in the BLR group, whereas VJ improvements were similar between groups. After adjusting for baseline AKE differences, post-intervention AKE remained significantly higher in the BLR group.
Conclusion:
Both SS and BLR produced beneficial acute effects on hamstring flexibility and jumping performance. BLR demonstrated larger acute improvements in hamstring flexibility and single-leg hop performance in this sample; however, these findings should be interpreted cautiously and may not be directly generalizable to athletic populations.
Clinicaltrials:
gov ID: NCT07138950.
