Effects of Static Versus Ballistic Stretching on

Hamstring:Quadriceps Strength Ratio and Jump

Performance in Ballet Dancers and Resistance
Trained Women
Camila D. Lima, BS, Lee E. Brown, EdD, Cassio V. Ruas, MS, and David G. Behm, PhD

Abstract in counterbalanced order. Two way re- recreational populations, especially

Stretching, while enhancing joint
flexibility, may also decrease the
hamstring:quadriceps (H:Q) strength ra-
tio, which is used to identify knee strength
imbalances and lower extremity muscle
and ligament injury risk in the practice
of sports and other physical activities.
Stretching may also decrease muscle force
and jump performance. However, these
effects may depend on the population
in question and mode of stretching. The
purpose of this study was to compare the
effects of static stretching (SS) and ballistic
stretching (BS) on concentric H:Q ratio,
squat jump (SJ) and countermovement
jump (CMJ) height, and SJ:CMJ ratio
between ballet dancers and resistance
trained women. Fifteen resistance trained
women and 12 ballet dancers were
peated measures ANOVAs were used to
compare interactions between conditions
and groups for H:Q and SJ:CMJ ratios.
Both groups demonstrated a significant
decrease in H:Q ratio after SS, but there
were no significant differences in SJ:CMJ
ratio or jump height between conditions
(p > 0.001). However, the ballet group
had greater SJ:CMJ ratios and SJ heights
than the resistance trained group. These
findings suggest that both ballet dancers
and resistance trained women decrease
H:Q ratio similarly after BS and SS.
Long-duration stretching negatively
impacts H:Q ratio in the short term,
which may lead to greater hamstring to
quadriceps imbalance regardless of train-
ing background.
those requiring extensive flexibility,
such as dancers and gymnasts.2 Static
stretching involves lengthening a
muscle until either a stretch sensation
or a point of discomfort is reached
and then holding that position for a
prescribed period of time.3,4 Longer
durations (more than 60 seconds)
of SS have been shown to lead to
impairments of muscle power, maxi-
mal strength, and functional perfor-
mance.1,2
The effects of stretching may be
mode dependent, as some studies
report that short durations of ballistic
stretching (BS) can increase jump
height and decrease ground reaction
time.5,6 Lima et al.5 found decreased

N
tested over five sessions. The first visit umerous studies have exam- muscular fatigue after 90 seconds of
consisted of demographic measurements
ined the effects of stretch- BS in ballet dancers, which led to an
and instruction in testing protocols (no
stretching), while the other four involved ing on muscle strength and increase in muscular endurance. Bal-
SS or BS in a counterbalanced order. physical performance.1,2 Static stretch- listic stretching involves high velocity
At each of these sessions, six stretching ing (SS) is one of the most commonly movement with bouncing action at
exercises were performed, three focusing used techniques as part of warm up the end point of range of motion
on quadriceps and three on hamstrings, and training programs for athletic and (ROM),7,8 and there is some indica-
tion in the literature of a greater risk
Camila D. Lima, BS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and School of injury following the use of BS. Pate
of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, et al.9 and Witvrouw et al.10 reported
Canada. Lee E. Brown, EdD, Human Performance Laboratory, Center for Sport that individuals with low levels of
Performance, Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Fullerton, ROM are especially susceptible to
California, USA. Cassio V. Ruas, MS, Centre for Exercise and Sports Science muscle strains. However, Wyon et
Research (CESSR), School of Exercise and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan al.,11 in a review of stretching for
University, Joondalup, Australia. David G. Behm, PhD, School of Human Kinetics dancers, suggested that BS may only
and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. be problematic if it is performed by
Correspondence: Camila de Paula de Lima, BS, Physical Education School, relatively untrained personnel and at
Memorial University of Newfoundland, School of Human Kinetics and very fast velocities.
Recreation, 230 Elizabeth Avenue, St. John’s, Newfoundland A1B 3X9, Canada; Strength ratios are commonly used
cdpdelima@mun.ca. to identify imbalances between two
Copyright © 2018 J. Michael Ryan Publishing, Inc.
160 https://doi.org/10.12678/1089-313X.22.3.160

Figure 1 Diagram of the study design.
muscle groups.12,13 Previous studies
have reported that a low hamstring to
quadriceps (H:Q) ratio may decrease
muscle performance13 and increase
risk of lower extremity injuries.13-15
Agaard et al.13 proposed that a norma-
tive H:Q ratio of less than or equal to
0.6 concentric peak torque is an ideal
balance to prevent injury. However,
this was only demonstrated in a gen-
eral population. Koutedakis et al.16
investigated the effects of H:Q ratio in
female dancers after 6 to 8 months of a
hamstring strengthening intervention.
They found that a low H:Q ratio was
associated with elevated lower back
injury rates.16 The identification of
H:Q strength imbalances is crucial
for athletes because they have heavy
workloads in their training sessions
and short recovery periods between
training and competition.12 Yet there
is little information in the literature
regarding the effects of stretching on
the H:Q ratio. Costa et al.17 showed
that after a long duration of only
hamstring SS (more than 17 minutes)
the H:Q strength ratio was decreased
in the general population, which may
increase lower extremity injury risk.
However, stretching the quadriceps
did not lead to any decrease in the
H:Q ratio, and since H:Q values
appear to be population-specific,12
stretching may affect the ratio differ-
ently in athletes who perform different
sports. Furthermore, identifying the
Journal of Dance Medicine & Science • Volume 22, Number 3, 2018
effects of stretching only on maximal
force production may not adequately
represent the need of athletes to
achieve their best performance.
Dynamic and ballistic stretch-
ing may enhance jump height, 18
which is beneficial for dance and
most sports. 19,20 Vertical jumping
involves lengthening of tissues such
as tendons, fascicles, and muscle
fibers, rather than an inhibitory
interneuron acting on a motor neu-
ron.21 Therefore, during these jumps,
eccentric actions are very important
for enhacement of concentric power
and lead to greater jump heights.
Eccentric actions primarily involve
elastic tissue working at a fast rate
during power activities. Thus, BS may
lead to performance improvement
in movements that involve elastic
tissues working at a faster rate than
during static activities.22 However,
a low squat jump:countermovement
jump ratio (SJ:CMJ) may indicate a
reduced capacity of eccentric com-
pared to concentric strength during
vertical jumping.23 A squat jump is
primarily a concentric action, whereas
CMJ utilizes eccentric actions and a
fast stretch-shortening cycle (SSC).
Eccentric actions are thought to play a
major role in jump performance since
they store and utilize energy in the
elastic contractile components of the
musculotendinous structures and this
energy is realized during the concen-
161
tric action, thereby enhancing power
output generated during the jump.22
A lower SJ:CMJ ratio may also be
associated with poor coordination
since CMJ requires greater synchrony
between muscles and limbs.24
Previous studies investigating the
effects of stretching have usually
focused on general or recreationally
active populations rather than athletes
(e.g., ballerinas, gymnasts, figure skat-
ers, and synchronized swimmers) who
perform stretching in their daily train-
ing routines in order to achieve high
levels of flexibility.13 This can lead to
population-specific misinterpretation
of the adverse effects of stretching on
the H:Q ratio and strength produc-
tion. For instance, resistance training
women usually focus on maximal
strength gains and do not aim to
achieve high levels of ROM. Ballet
dancers, on the other hand, focus
more in their training on the ability
to produce explosive force at maximal
ROM. 25,26 Comparing stretching
effects between ballet dancers, who
aim to increase levels of flexibility,
and resistance training women, who
aim to increase levels of muscle force,
may demonstrate if stretching has a
differential effect on muscle balance
in these populations. Therefore, the
purpose of this study was to examine
the effect of two different types of
stretching (static and ballistic) on the
H:Q ratio, SJ and CMJ height, and
162 Volume 22, Number 3, 2018 • Journal of Dance Medicine & Science
SJ:CMJ ratio in ballet dancers and
resistance trained women.
Methods
Participants
Fifteen resistance training women
(age 23.86 ± 1.80 years, mass 67.47
± 7.77 kg, height 168.30 ± 5.53 cm)
and 12 ballet dancers (age 22.83 ±
3.04 years, mass 58.67 ± 5.65 kg,
height 168.00 ± 7.69 cm) were re-
cruited from a weightlifting club and
ballet school, respectively, in Orange
County, California, USA. Inclusion
criteria were: 1. resistance trained
(RT) women had to be participating
in a resistance training program for
at least 6 months, and those in the
ballet group had to be participating
in training for at least 5 years; 2. all
participants must train at least three
times per week; and 3. RTs could not
be engaged in any flexibility training,
and those in ballet could not be en-
gaged in any resistance training. All
participants were asymptomatic and
free of any musculoskeletal injuries.
Each participant read and signed
an informed consent document
approved by the investigators’ Uni-
versity Institutional Review Board,
which had previously approved the
study.
Procedures
Experimental Schedule (Fig. 1)
Participants were tested over five
visits of approximately 45 minutes
each. The first week they were tested
to establish a control condition, fol-
lowed in the next two weeks by four
experimental sessions conducted twice
per week and separated by at least
48 hours. Following testing, a mixed
model analysis of variance experi-
mental design was used to assess the
effects of three different conditions:
control, SS, and BS, in a counterbal-
anced order.
Session 1: Control
Participants were measured for height
and mass using a digital scale (Model
ES200L; Ohaus, Pine Brook, New
Jersey, USA) and wall-mounted digital
stadiometer (Detecto Stadiometer,
Webb City, Missouri, USA), followed
by a dynamic warm-up consisting
of two 10-minute sets of knee hugs,
walking lunges, and walking alter-
nate toe touches. This warm-up was
focused on increasing heart rate and
body and muscle temperature.27 The
participants were then tested for quad-
riceps and hamstring concentric peak
torque (PT) and SJs and CMJs. Five-
minutes of rest was given between
tests. They also practiced the stretch-
ing exercises they would perform in
the next two sessions.28
Experimental Testing Sessions
Sessions 2 through 5 started with
the same warm-up as the control
visit, followed by six sets of SS and
BS stretching exercises, three for
quadriceps and three for hamstrings
in alternating order. During sessions
2 and 4, hamstring and quadriceps
concentric PT was tested. During
sessions 3 and 5, SJs and CMJs were
tested. For these sessions, 3 minutes of
rest was given between the stretching
exercises and the strength tests.28 The
same researcher performed all testing
throughout the study.
Stretching Exercises
All participants performed six stretch-
ing exercises, primarily for the right
leg, that were focused on the ham-
strings and quadriceps. The hamstring
exercises consisted of sitting toe touch,
semi-straddle, and lying hamstrings.
Quadriceps exercises consisted of
hip flexors, quadriceps kneeling, and
prone quadriceps. Ballistic stretching
was performed with bouncing move-
ments at the end of ROM, with 2 sec-
onds for each phase. Static stretching
Figure 2 Sitting toe touch stretch.
involved holding at maximal ROM.
Both stretching types were performed
on a thin mat, three sets of 30 seconds
each, with 15 seconds of rest between
exercises.1
Sitting Toe Touch Stretch
Participants sat with both legs ex-
tended while their trunk remained
straight. They placed their right hand
on top of their left hand and reached
forward toward their feet as far as pos-
sible while keeping knees straight and
head between arms (Fig. 2).
Semi-Straddle Stretch
Participants sat with their right leg
abducted and extended while their
left hip was abducted and knee flexed.
They placed their right hand on top
of their left hand and reached forward
as far as possible while keeping their
right knee flat on the mat and head
between arms (Fig. 3).
Supine Hamstring Stretch
Participants lay supine and pulled
their right leg with knee extended
toward their chest while their left leg
was flat on the mat (Fig. 4).
Hip Flexor Stretch
Participants were in lunge position
with their left knee flexed and right
hip extended with the leg reaching
as far back as possible. The trunk was
kept straight and stable (Fig. 5).
Quadriceps Stretch, Kneeling
Participants began in lunge position,
as in the hip flexor exercise. They then
flexed their right knee and pulled the

Figure 3 Semi-straddle stretch.
Figure 4 Supine hamstring stretch.
foot toward the hip with their left
hand. They were asked to try to touch
the heel to the gluteals while keeping
their trunk straight and stable (Fig. 6).
Prone Quadriceps Stretch
Participants lay prone while flexing
their right knee and pulling the foot
Figure 5 Hip flexor stretch.
Journal of Dance Medicine & Science • Volume 22, Number 3, 2018
toward the back with their right hand
(Fig. 7).
Outcome Variables
Isokinetic Strength Test
Testing was performed on a Biodex
System 3 isokinetic dynamometer
(Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley,
Figure 6 Kneeling quadriceps stretch.
163
New York, USA). Participants sat on
the dynamometer chair with straps
across their chest, hips, and thighs.
The lever arm was attached above
their right medial malleolus. They
were asked to hold the straps across
their chest for the entire test. The
test consisted of five maximal knee
extension-flexion isokinetic concen-
tric repetitions at 60° per second,
from 90° (knee flexion) to 0° (knee
extension). The highest quadriceps
and hamstring peak torque (PT)
values across all repetitions were used
for further analysis.29 Verbal encour-
agement but not visual feedback was
provided during the test.28
H:Q Concentric Peak Torque Ratio
The conventional ratio, which is most
commonly used in the literature to
determine relationships of this sort,
was calculated as the quotient of ham-
string concentric PT over quadriceps
concentric PT.13
Vertical Jumps, SJ, and CMJ
Participants performed jumps on
an AMTI force plate (Advanced
Mechanical Technology, Inc., Wa-
tertown, Massachusetts, USA), next
to an EPIC device that had vanes as
targets to reach. For SJ, participants
started by standing in a self-selected
squat position with arms akimbo,
then jumped as high and fast as pos-
sible. For CMJ, participants started
by standing with their elbows at 90°,
164 Volume 22, Number 3, 2018 • Journal of Dance Medicine & Science
Figure 7 Prone quadriceps stretch.
then dropped to a self-selected squat
position and jumped as high and fast
as possible with arm swing aimed at
reaching the vanes of the EPIC. Three
attempts were given, with 30 seconds
of rest between jumps and 5 minutes
between tests. The average of the three
attempts was used for further analysis.
Jumps were performed in a random-
ized order, and height was collected
using custom LabVIEW version
2014 software (National Instruments
Corporation, Austin, Texas, USA) on
a desktop computer connected to the
force plate.
Data Analyses
All data are expressed as mean and
SD, and analyses were performed with
IBM SPSS Statistics software version
23 (IBM, Armonk, New York). An
alpha level of 0.05 was used to de-
termine statistical significance. The
normality of all values was verified
using the Shapiro-Wilk test. Levene’s
test was used to check the homogene-
ity of variance for all tests. A two-way
mixed model analysis of variance
(ANOVA), two groups (Ballet vs. RT)
for each of the three conditions (con-
trol, SS vs. BS), was used to analyze
H:Q and SJ:CMJ ratios. The ANOVA
was calculated comparing control
(pre-stretching) with experimental
condition after stretching. A post hoc
Fisher’s Least Significant Difference
(LSD) analysis was used to examine
pairwise differences. 30 Effect sizes
for each significant difference were
calculated using Cohen’s d equation
(ES = Post-test mean - Pre-test mean/
Pre-test SD), in which values less than
0.25 were considered trivial, 0.25 to
0.75 small, 0.50 to 1.0 moderate,
and greater than 1.0 large for highly
Fi g u re 8 Mean and SD of the
hamstrings:quadriceps concentric peak
trained subjects. The effect sizes were
31
torque ratio for control (CNTRL), static
calculated using the control condition stretching (SS), and ballistic stretching
(pre-test mean) and experimental (BS) conditions collapsed across groups.
conditions (post-test mean). *Significantly greater than SS and BS.
Results to control, respectively (Table 1).
For the H:Q strength ratio, there was For CMJ height there was no in-
no interaction for group and condi- teraction or main effect for condition.
tion [F(2,25) = 1.80, p = 0 .17] and However, there was a main effect for
no main effect for group. However, group (p < 0.05), where those in the
there was a main effect for condition ballet group had greater jump height
[F(1,25) = 25.06, p < 0.001]. To de- than RT. For those in ballet, there
termine condition differences, a post were trivial magnitude effect size dif-
hoc analysis was performed using the ferences between SS (d = 0.18) and
LSD test. The control condition had BS (d = 0.36) compared to control,
8.55% and 9.16% greater H:Q ratio respectively. For RT there were trivial
than SS [p < 0.001, 95% CI (0.031, effect size differences for SS (d = 0.19)
0.079)] and BS [p < 0.001, 95% CI and BS (d = 0.11) compared to control
(0.035, 0.083)] conditions, respec- (Table 1).
tively (Fig. 8). Static stretching (d = For the SJ:CMJ ratio there was no
3.6) and BS (d = 3.9) had large effect interaction or main effect for condi-
sizes compared to control. There was tion (p > 0.05), but there was a main
no significant difference between SS effect for group (p < 0.05), where
and BS. those in ballet had greater ratio val-
For SJ height, there was no inter- ues than RT. Both groups presented
action (p = 0.44) or main effect for trivial magnitude effect size differences
condition (p = 0.87), but there was between SS (d = 0.17) and BS (d =
a main effect for group (p = 0.01), 0.24) compared to control, respecti-
where ballet had greater jump height vely (Table 1).
than RT. For ballet, there were trivial
magnitude effect size differences be- Discussion
tween SS (d = 0.14) and BS (d = 0.15) The purpose of this study was to
compared to control, respectively. compare the effects of SS and BS on
For RT there were small magnitude H:Q strength ratio and vertical jump
effect size differences between SS (d ability between two populations with
= 0.27) and BS (d = 0.29) compared different flexibility backgrounds. The
Table 1 Mean and Standard Deviations for Squat Jump (SJ),
Countermovement Jump (CMJ) Height, and SJ:CMJ Ratios
Resistance Trained Ballet Dancers
SJ Height cm 29.08 ± 10.50 44.19 ± 12.65
CMJ Height cm 40.36 ± 6.98 44.89 ± 5.11
SJ:CMJ 0.72 ± 0.23 0.99 ± 0.27

results demonstrated a decrease in the
H:Q ratio after both types of stretch-
ing, regardless of group. This decrease
resulted in a ratio that was less than
the normative value suggested by
Agaard et al.13 Additionally, ballet
dancers had greater jump height and
SJ:CMJ ratio than resistance trained
women, but there were no differences
between stretching conditions.
Stretching strategies immediately
prior to strenuous exercise have tra-
ditionally focused on increasing flex-
ibility for performance enhancement
and injury risk reduction during
physical and sport activities.1 How-
ever, several studies have reported that
prolonged stretching (more than 60
seconds per muscle group) can lead
to adverse effects on PT and the H:Q
ratio. The H:Q ratio is an accepted
measurement for muscle, ligament,
and tendon lower extremity injury
risk assessment.13,14,17 Both dynamic
and static hamstring stretching, as
well as quadriceps dynamic stretch-
ing, can decrease the H:Q ratio in
physically active men and women.17,32
Based on this, Costa et al.17,32 indi-
cated that fitness and allied-health
professionals should be cautious when
recommending BS and SS prior to
maximal strength activities. In con-
trast, a previous study5 found that
BS was beneficial for muscle fatigue
resistance in ballet dancers but not
resistance trained women. Neverthe-
less, the results of the present study
show that H:Q strength ratios de-
creased similarly between populations,
demonstrating that stretching affects
the H:Q ratio regardless of flexibility
background.
The similar decrease in H:Q ratios
after stretching in both populations
can be explained by a greater decrease
in hamstring PT when compared to
quadriceps, which was also found in
a previous study when comparing
these same populations.5 This is in
agreement with previous studies in-
vestigating the effects of stretching on
hamstring PT.17,32 The impairments of
force resulting from stretching found
by Lima et al.5 represent only their
capacity for maximal force output;
investigating the stretching effects un-
Journal of Dance Medicine & Science • Volume 22, Number 3, 2018
derlying muscle imbalances may lead
to a better representation of how this
functionally affects their performance.
Lima et al.5 showed similar increases
in ROM after BS and SS for resistance
trained and ballet women. This may
explain the similarly decreased H:Q
ratio in the present study, regardless
of stretching type. This demonstrates
that hamstring muscles may be more
sensitive than quadriceps to the struc-
tural or neural changes resulting from
the external influences of stretching,
regardless of flexibility level.
Evangelidis et al. 33 investigated
the relationship between hamstring
and quadriceps muscle volumes
and their capacity for generating
concentric strength as well as their
influence on the H:Q ratio. They
found disparities in volume between
muscle groups, and while hamstring
volume influenced 38% to 58% of
concentric force capacity, quadriceps
size influenced only 30% to 31%. The
investigators concluded that this may
have occurred due to the hamstrings
having a greater number of long fibers
compared to the quadriceps, thereby
generating greater strength produc-
tion. The differences calculated for the
two muscle volumes affected 12% to
13% of the H:Q strength ratio. These
findings are in agreement with others
who found a decrease of 8.55% and
9.16% in the H:Q ratio after SS and
BS stretching respectively, likely due
to an acute decrease in hamstring
concentric PT.5 The hamstrings con-
sist of a smaller number of muscles
than the quadriceps, which may make
them more susceptible to the effects of
stretching. Therefore, stretching prior
to strength performance may decrease
the H:Q strength balance similarly
in both ballet dancers and resistance
trained women leading to potential
lower extremity injury risk during the
practice of their activities.
The H:Q normative value of 0.6
is generally used in discussion of a
variety of sporting populations.12,34-36
However, maximum strength values
are found at one specific joint angle
and do not reflect strength imbalances
through the entire ROM. Therefore,
their use for screening the likelihood
165
of injury occurrence during the prac-
tice of sports and other physical activi-
ties has been an issue of debate.33,34
Alternative strength imbalance calcu-
lations have been suggested, and angle
specific torque (AST) ratios have been
proposed as a more precise assessment
of the primary angles where injury is
most likely to occur.33,34 This may be
especially important for those activi-
ties requiring strength at an extended
joint ROM, such as ballet.37 Also, bal-
let requires explosive strength rather
than maximal strength in a variety
of moves, which can be calibrated as
ratios based on rate of torque develop-
ment.38,39 Pinto et al.40 investigated the
H:Q ratio after fatigue in soccer play-
ers and found that it approximated
the muscle imbalance present during
athletic performance. In addition,
strength ratios have become suspect as
a screening approach, since the train-
ing, skills, and tasks required of each
physical activity may alter strength
balance in a particular manner.12,41
Since SJ is considered a measure-
ment of concentric power output of
the quadriceps, and CMJ involves a
rapid eccentric action followed by a
concentric action of the quadriceps,
the ratio of jump height between
the two may be an effective determi-
nant of the capacity to produce fast
stretch shortening cycle (SSC) move-
ments.23,42 Therefore, a rapid eccentric
action may be indicative of an effective
SSC, leading to greater jump height.
However, previous investigations have
classified the CMJ as an indicator of
slow SSC, since the transition between
eccentric and concentric activity may
not always occur in a fast manner.42
In the present study, ballet dancers
demonstrated greater jump height
than resistance trained women for
every test, which may indicate that
ballet training and performance are
more focused on high levels of multi-
joint power. However, ballet dancers
also presented a greater SJ:CMJ ratio
than resistance trained women. Ballet
dancers demonstrated an increase in
CMJ over SJ height of only 1.55%,
whereas resistance trained women
had 27% greater CMJ height com-
pared to SJ height. This may be due
166 Volume 22, Number 3, 2018 • Journal of Dance Medicine & Science
to ballet dancers performing explosive
movements with a longer transition
between eccentric to concentric
phases during CMJ. Ballet training
programs usually consist of controlled
movements in which the dancers are
required to perform jumps and ex-
plosive movements from stationary
or slow deliberate movements.43 Mc-
Guigan et al.23 reported that hockey,
football, soccer, and rugby players
have higher SJ:CMJ ratio values (close
to 1) than the general population since
these sports require an exceptional
ability to produce fast SSC. In addi-
tion, although Kums et al.44 did not
find any differences in SJ:CMJ ratios
between rhythmic gymnasts and
an untrained population, rhythmic
gymnasts, whose training routines
are similar to those of ballet dancers,
had greater jump heights. Da Silva et
al.3 found that single leg stretching
decreased jump performance of the
non-stretched leg, and that the mecha-
nisms underpinning this effect may
be the activation of an inhibitory in-
terneuron that reduces the activation
of the motoneuron pool. They also
found a decrease in EMG amplitude
in the stretched leg only. Wilhelm et
al.45 found that CMJ is weakly cor-
related to single joint muscle strength
production since it involves the sum
of torques of several muscle groups
rather than only one. In agreement
with this, our results demonstrate
that unilateral stretching, which
involves only single muscle groups,
did not adversely affect multi-joint
jump performance in ballet dancers
or resistance trained women.
We acknowledge as a possible limi-
tation of our study that all stretching
exercises, except for sitting toe touch,
were performed unilaterally (right
leg) rather than biliterally, which may
have affected jump results. The right
leg was used consistently to avoid
dominance interference in the results.
In addition, if unilateral stretching
were performed for one leg followed
by the other leg it would lead to a dif-
ferent time interval of stretching and
rest for each leg, thus leading to less
accurate and controllable conditions.
This could cloud the understanding
of stretching effects on our dependent
variables. Willheim et al.45 showed
that single leg dynamic peak torque
has a strong correlation with CMJ
height. Therefore, it is likely that
unilateral stretching also affects both
unilateral (peak torque) and bilateral
(CMJ) tests.
Our study suggests that dancers
and resistance trained women should
be cautious when stretching prior to
maximal force output since it may
increase knee strength imbalance and
lead to greater risk of lower extremity
injury. Since stretching is an impor-
tant contributor to reaching high
levels of ROM, strategies to increase
flexibility without negatively affecting
H:Q balance have been implemented
by coaches. For instance, stretching
for less than 90 seconds may be an
effective means of increasing flexibility
while avoiding impairments in muscle
balance. Stretching only at the end of
a training session has also been recom-
mended when performing movements
that require strength.1,2 However, our
results suggest that stretching exercises
do not impair ballet dancers’ jump
performance.
Conclusions
Our findings demonstrate that ballet
dancers and resistance trained women
decreased their H:Q ratios similarly
following ballistic and static stretch-
ing. Therefore, regardless of stretching
type, there was a negative effect on
muscle function in the short term.
However, VJ height and SJ:CMJ ratio
were not negatively affected by either
type of stretching in the two groups.
References
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range of motion, and injury inci-
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systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr
Metab. 2015 Jan;41(1):1-11.
2. Kay AD, Blazevich AJ. Effect of
acute static stretch on maximal
muscle performance: a systematic
review. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012
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