International Journal of Sport Studies. Vol., 4 (8), 907-913, 2014
Available online at http: www.ijssjournal.com
ISSN 2251-7502 © 2014; Science Research Publications
Acute effect of different warm-up stretch protocols on vertical jump
performance in volleyball players
Rouhollah Haghshenas (PhD)1*, Iman Taleb-Beydokhti (MSc)2, Sayyed Mohsen Avandi3
1- Assistant Professor of exercise physiology, Department of Human Science, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
2- Group of physical education, Department of Human Science, Semnan University, Semnan, Iran
3- Ph.D., Assistant Professor of exercise physiology, Department of Human Science, Semnan University,
Semnan, Iran
*Corresponding Author, Email: [email protected]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of different
stretching protocols on power in volleyball players. Thirty-two female
volleyball players (age: 20.41±5.94 years old, weight: 65.06±11.45 kg,
height:180.16±7.00 cm and volleyball training experience: 5.09±4.08 years)
performed 4 different warm-up protocols in randomly assigned order: (a) no
stretching, (b) static stretching, (c) dynamic stretching, and (d) combined
stretching. The results analyzed using ANOVA showed that There was a
significant increase in power after dynamic stretching (49.09±7.04) vs. Static
stretching (47.37±7.08) at p<0.004, but there were no significant differences
among dynamic stretching vs. Combine (static+dynamic) stretching
(48.25±6.87) at p<0.080, and combine (static+dynamic) stretching
(48.25±6.87) vs. Static stretching at p<0.067. It was concluded that static
stretching as part of a warm-up may decrease height jump performance,
whereas dynamic stretching seems to increase height jump performance.
Key words: Anaerobic power, Combine stretching, Dynamic stretching, Static
stretching.
Introduction
The vertical jump is an explosive activity a number of athletes are required to perform in many different sports
such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball. power plays a key factor in many sports, and its improvement of
efficiency during training and competition can be developed with proper warm-up (Faigenbaum, McFarland et
al. 2006). It is believed that the use of stretching as part of a warm-up routine may improve performance and
decline the risk of injuries and postponed onset muscle soreness (Knudson and Bennett et al. 2001). However,
conventional beliefs regarding the routine practice of pre-event static stretching have recently been questioned
(Shrier 2004; Thacker and Gilchrist et al., 2004; Small and Naughton et al., 2008). Several studies have shown
that static stretching exercises that are commonly used by athletes prior to training or competition may impair
vertical jump performance (Young and Elliott 2001, Cornwell, Nelson et al. 2002, McNeal and Sands 2003,
Young and Behm 2003, McMillian, Moore et al. 2006, Bradley, Olsen et al. 2007, Hough and Ross et al. 2009),
but others report that static stretching has no effect at all on vertical jump(Fowles, Sale et al. 2000, Bacurau,
Monteiro et al. 2009). On the other hand, the dynamic general or specific explosive movements that are
typically performed during warm-up may induce a phenomenon called post-activation potentiation (PAP) that
enhances muscular power and speed (Fletcher and Jones 2004, Faigenbaum, Bellucci et al. 2005, Hodgson,
Docherty et al. 2005, Little and Williams 2006, Hilfiker, Hübner et al. 2007, Kilduff, Bevan et al. 2007,
Needham, Morse et al. 2009, Gelen 2011, Amiri-Khorasani and Fattahi-Bafghi 2013, Kruse, Barr et al. 2013).
According to previous studies, there were conflicting finding performance (Church, Wiggins et al. 2001,
Knudson, BENNETT et al. 2001, Burkett, Phillips et al. 2005, Samuel, Holcomb et al. 2008). Therefore, some
researchers suggested that players should not use static stretching before activities that depend of high levels of
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Intl. j. Sport Std. Vol., 4 (8), 907-913, 2014
strength and power gs in the acute effects of stretching on vertical jump. Thus, the purpose of this study was to
examine the acute effects of static stretching, dynamic stretching, combined stretching (static + dynamic) and no
stretching methods on vertical jump in volleyball players.
Materials and Methods
Subjects:
The methodology of current study is a quasi-experimental design, in which the subjects were each serving as
their own control. A counterbalanced within-subject experimental design was used for this research. Thirty-two
female volleyball players (height: 180.16±7.00 cm; weight: 65.06±1.45 kg; experience: 5.09±4.08 years; age:
20.41±5.94 years) were tested as part of their athletic training program. The average playing experience at the
high level was 5 years. All subjects who had no history of major lower limb injury or disease, volunteered to
participate in this study. Subjects were instructed not to engage in lower – body exercise 48 hours before their
test, to eliminate any potential muscle soreness or fatigue. All participants received a clear explanation of the
study, including the risks and benefits of participation and written informed consent for testing was obtained
from all participants.
Experimental Protocol:
All subjects were familiar with the stretch protocols and performance tests. Nevertheless a group session prior
to testing was included to testing procedures and the different modes of stretching. Subjects were divided into
four groups, that is, each group included eight subjects. Each group performed four different warm-up protocols
on four non-consecutive days. The warm-up protocol used for each group was performed in a randomized
manner, which is displayed in Table 1. Subjects performed seven minutes jogging, one of the stretching
programs (except for NS protocol), rest for 2minutes, and then the vertical jump test for one day.
Table 1: Counterbalanced order for four Different warm-up groups
days
Groups
Group1
Group2
Group3
Group4
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
NS
SS
DS
CS
SS
DS
CS
NS
DS
CS
NS
SS
CS
NS
SS
DS
(NS) No stretching; (SS) Static stretching; (DS) dynamic stretching; (CS) combined stretching (static +
dynamic)
Stretching:
The static stretch (SS) protocol consisted of 7 minutes of low-intensity jogging followed by 10 minutes of static
stretching emphasizing the lower-extremity muscle groups : gastrocnemius, quadriceps, hip flexors, adductors,
hamstrings, and gluteal(see table 2 for more details). The technique of static stretching required the subjects to
slowly take up the stretch of the muscle to the point of tension and mild discomfort and hold for a period of 30
seconds. It means that, they performed one stretching for 15 seconds on right leg and 15 seconds on left leg.
The dynamic stretch (DS) protocol consisted of 7 minutes of low-intensity jogging followed by 10 minutes of
dynamic stretching emphasizing the same muscle groups included in the SS protocol(see table 3 for more
details). The intensity of the dynamic movements progressed from moderate to high intensity. In the combined
stretching (static + dynamic), subjects performed the same movements, therefore stretching the same muscles, as
the static stretching and dynamic stretching, but they performed at first static stretching and then performed
dynamic stretching. In the no stretching, subjects rested for 2 minutes after the general warm-up before
performing the fitness tests.
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Intl. j. Sport Std. Vol., 4 (8), 907-913, 2014
Table 2: Static stretching protocol (SS)
Static stretching protocol
Hamstrings
Quadriceps
Hip flexors
Hip Adductors
Gastrocnemius
Gluteus
Sit on the ground with both legs straight out in front of you, Bend the left
leg and place the sole of the left foot alongside the knee of the right leg,
Bend forward keeping the back straight.
Holding on to a chair or wall if necessary, lift your right foot up to your
bum and grab your ankle with your right hand, Now repeat with the
opposite leg.
From a kneeling position, bring left leg out front with foot flat on the
ground. Push body forward through the hips, stretching that right hip
flexor.
Stand tall with your feet approximately two shoulder widths apart ,Bend
the right leg and lower the body ,Keep you back straight and use the arms
to balance, You will feel the stretch in the left leg adductor,Repeat with the
left leg.
Stand tall with one leg in front of the other, with hands pressing against a
wall at shoulder height. Ease your back leg further away from the front
leg, keeping it straight (but not locked) and press the heel firmly into the
floor. Keep your hips facing forward and the rear leg and spine in a
straight line. You will feel the stretch in the calf of the rear leg, Repeat
with the other leg.
Sitting tall with legs stretched out in front of you ,Bend the right knee and
place the right foot on the ground to the left side of the left knee ,Turn
your shoulders so that you are facing to the right ,Using your left arm
against your right knee to help ease you further round ,Use your right arm
on the floor for support ,You will feel the stretch along the length of the
spine and in the muscles around the right hip.
Table 3: Dynamic stretching protocol (DS)
Dynamic flexibility protocols
Walking lunge
Knees to Chest
Butt kicks
High knees
Side Lunge stretch
Straight Leg Kicks
Side leg-swings
Drop lunge
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From a standing position, Step forward with right leg and lower your
body to 90 degrees at both knees.
The subject contracted hip flexors intentionally with knee flexed to
bring the thigh to the chest.
Stand with your feet pointed straight ahead and placed shoulder-width
apart. Contract your gluteus, and bring your heel to your gluteus.
Run forward with short, quick steps, pumping your knees into the air
and flexing your hip, knee and foot. Keep your chest up.
Standing with feet hip-width apart, step out to the side with your right
foot. Keep left leg straight and bend into a lunge in the right leg.
From a standing position with both legs straight, the hip flexors were
contracted to swing the leg forwards.
From a standing position, Swing your straight leg left to right in wide
arcs between the wall and your standing leg.
Reach your left foot behind and 2 feet beyond the outside of your right
foot ,Square your hips back to the starting position and sit back and
down into a squat.
Distance
and rep
20m×1
20m×1
20m×2
20m×2
20m×1
20m×1
20m×1
Intl. j. Sport Std. Vol., 4 (8), 907-913, 2014
Performance test:
Vertical jump test:







the athlete stands side on to a wall and reaches up
with the hand closest to the wall.
Keeping the feet flat on the ground, the point of the
fingertips is marked or recorded.
This is called the standing reach height.
The athlete then stands away from the wall, and
leaps vertically as high as possible using both arms
and legs to assist in projecting the body upwards.
Attempt to touch the wall at the highest point of the
jump.
The difference in distance between the standing
reach height and the jump height is the score.
The best of three attempts is recorded.
Statistical Analysis
All calculations were performed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 18 (SPSS 2010). The
effect of different stretching methods on power in all players was determined using one-way analysis of
variance for repeated- measures. Paired t-tests were performed to determine significant changes within each
condition. The Bonferroni adjustment was then carried out to confirm the significant differences. A significance
level of p≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant for this analysis.
Results
Current finding, as illustrated in Figure 1, showed significant increase in height jump after dynamic stretching
(49.09±7.04) against static stretching (47.37±7.08) (p < 0.004) and no stretching groups (48.12±6.92) (p <
0.035). But, there were no significant differences between dynamic stretching (49.09±7.04) and combine
(static+ dynamic) stretching (48.25±6.87) (p < 0.080). In addition, there were no significant differences between
combine (static+ dynamic) stretching (48.25±6.87) and static stretching (47.37±7.08) (p < 0.067).
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Figure 1. Power after static stretching, dynamic stretching, combined stretching, and no stretching in soccer
players. (a) is a significant difference after dynamic stretching against static stretching and (b) no is significant
difference after dynamic stretching against combined stretching.
Discussion and Conclusion
The purpose of this investigation was to determine the acute effect of static stretching, dynamic stretching,
combined (static+ dynamic) stretching and no stretching methods on power in volleyball players. Results
revealed significant improvements after dynamic stretching compared to the static stretching (Figures 1). On the
other hand, combined (static+ dynamic) stretching did not produce a higher record to complete the vertical jump
test (Figure 1) compared to dynamic stretching. In addition, there were no significant differences between
combined stretching and static stretching on power, but combined stretching showed better record than static
stretching. Recent evidence has suggested that a bout of static stretching may actually cause acute decreases in
vertical jumping ability (McNeal and Sands, 2003). Therefore, two hypotheses suggested by previous
researchers for the static stretching induced decrease in performances: (1) mechanical factors involving the
viscoelastic properties of the muscle that may affect the muscle`s length tension relationship, and (2) neural
factors such as decreased muscle activation or altered reflex sensitivity (Amiri-Khorasani and Osman et al.,
2011). In addition, there are two hypotheses which suggested for positive effect of dynamic stretching: (1) some
level of post-activation potentiation (PAP) and (2) increasing muscle temperature. One of the possible
mechanisms behind the enhanced jumping and sprinting performance after a dynamic-style warm-up is PAP.
Indeed, it has been shown that activation of a muscle may cause an enhanced performance for some time after
the cessation of the activation (Sale, 2002). PAP may be a result of increased phosphorylation of myosin light
chains, increasing the calcium sensitivity of the myofilaments (Sale, 2002). Also, an increase in muscle
temperature and muscle blood flow as a result of dynamic stretching may induce a more forceful and quicker
muscle contraction b increasing the speed of nerve impulses (Shellock and Prentice, 1985) and the forcegenerating capacity of muscle cells (Stienen and Kiers et al., 1996). Furthermore, the additional recruitment of
fast motor units when resistance exercise is added to a warm-up (Faigenbaum and McFarland et al., 2006;
Thompsen and Kackley et al., 2007) may augment PAP and further enhance performance. The findings of the
present study are consist with some previous researches(Faigenbaum, Bellucci et al. 2005; Amiri-Khorasani and
Fattahi-Bafghi, 2013), which reported that compared to static stretching, dynamic stretching improved vertical
jump records . These similarities are supported by previously explained. However there is one study that
reported conflicting results (Knudson and BENNETT et al., 2001) regarding vertical jump records. Yet this
conflict could be the result of differences in training experience, methodology and the recovery period.
Therefore, it seems that dynamic stretching by post-activation potentiation and optimal muscle temperature
cause better performance and in contrast, static stretching cause less performance due to decreased muscle
activation and less muscle stiffness (Amiri-Khorasani and Molaei et al., 2013). In addition, it seems that because
of followed dynamic stretching after static stretching in combined stretching caused Jump higher as compared to
static stretching. In conclusion, warm-up with dynamic stretching led to the significant improvement in vertical
jump performance. These changes can be due to an increase in muscle temperature, similar patterns of motion
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exercise, Increase in muscle force and rate of force development followed an active contraction (PAP). These
finding suggests dynamic stretching has greater applicability to enhance performance compared to static
stretching.
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