Supervisors info:
Αναστάσιος Φιλίππου, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Μαρία Μαριδάκη, Αναπληρώτρια Καθηγήτρια, Σχολή Επιστήμης Φυσικής Αγωγής και Αθλητισμού, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Μιχαήλ Κουτσιλιέρης, Επίκουρος Καθηγητής, Ιατρική Σχολή, Ε.Κ.Π.Α.
Summary:
Many studies have examined the effect of static muscle stretching on parameters of athletic performance. Most of those studies have examined the acute effect of static stretching before high intensity exercise in adults. However, to the best of the author’s knowledge, there are not studies examining the long-term effect of static stretching and particularly in adolescent basketball players. The purpose of this study was to investigate the long-term effect of static stretching on specific functional abilities of adolescent basketball players.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight young basketball athletes (age: 13.3 ± 0.1 years, mean ± SE) performed the following functional tests: a) sit and reach-SR, b) 5 m and 15 m sprints, (c) counter movement jump (CMJ), (d) standing jump (SJ), (e) the agility test T-test, range of motion measurements for (f) hip flexion (H), g) knee flexion (K), h) ankle dorsi-flexion (P), as well as i) pelmatography and j) posture assessment. Then, subjects were divided into two (2) equivalent groups. One group, in addition to the specified basketball training program, which included also 5 min of static stretching exercises, followed an additional program of static stretching, 3 times / week for 8 weeks (Intervention Group, IG). Specifically, the stretching program consisted of 9 different stretching exercises of the lower extremities and trunk muscles (gastrocnemius, soleus, quadriceps femoris, hamstrings iliopsoas, hip adductors, hip external rotators, sacrospinalis muscles, and pectoralis major), which were repeated four times in each session with a total duration being 2 min (4 x 30 sec) / stretching exercise. The other group followed only the designated basketball program, which also included 5 min of static stretching exercises (Control Group, CG). At the end of the 8-week experimental period all the functional tests were repeated in both groups.
RESULTS: The improvement in SR test (IG: 43 ± 8% Vs. CG: 11 ± 8%) and the range of motion of the knee flexion (CG: 9 ± 2% Vs CG: 2 ± 2%) was significantly higher in IG compared to CG (p = 0.01 and p = 0.008, respectively). In the other functional tests, no significant differences were observed between the two groups (p> 0.05).
Keywords:
Static, Stretching, Basketball, Adolescent, Young
