Effects of static stretching on muscular power in female collegiate soccer players.

Abstract

Current literature over the effects of static stretching on muscular power is inconsistent. A better understanding of the effects of static stretching could help improve athletic performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the acute and delayed effects of static stretching on muscular power performance in female collegiate soccer players. The participants were healthy, uninjured volunteers who were soccer players from the University of Central Oklahoma women’s soccer team (n = 13). Each participant was led through a dynamic only stretching condition and a combination stretching condition. The focus of the stretching conditions was the large muscle groups of the lower body. The two stretching conditions were completed on nonconsecutive days in the same week. Following the stretching condition, the participant completed three trials of a countermovement jump (CMJ), three trials of a instep kick, and two trials of the Illinois Agility Test (IAT) for the acute testing. The participants then had a 30-minute rest period followed by another round of CMJ, instep kicking, and IAT trials to complete the delayed testing. Dependent t-tests were completed to compare the acute and delayed testing of the dynamic only and combination conditions. The results indicated non-significant differences between the acute dynamic only stretching condition and combination stretching conditions, as well as between the delayed dynamic only stretching condition and combination stretching condition (p < .05). Researchers concluded that there is no significant effect of static stretching on muscular power performance in female collegiate soccer players. Although the calculated effect sizes of the study did show trends of static stretching having a positive effect on muscular power for all variables except for acute CMJ heights and acute and delayed IAT performance. Future research should assess the effects of static stretching on muscular power in larger sample size of female and male collegiate soccer players.