Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2006, 20(4), 799–803
䉷 2006 National Strength & Conditioning Association
BALLISTIC STRETCHING INCREASES FLEXIBILITY AND
ACUTE VERTICAL JUMP HEIGHT WHEN COMBINED
WITH BASKETBALL ACTIVITY
MANDY T. WOOLSTENHULME,1 CHRISTINE M. GRIFFITHS,2 EMILY M. WOOLSTENHULME,1
ALLEN C. PARCELL1
AND
Human Performance Research Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602; 2Nova Southeastern
University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314.
1
ABSTRACT. Woolstenhulme, M.T., C.M. Griffiths, E.M. Woolstenhulme, and A.C. Parcell. Ballistic stretching increases flexibility and acute vertical jump height when combined with basketball activity. J. Strength Cond. Res. 20(4):799–803. 2006.—
Stretching is often included as part of a warm-up procedure for
basketball activity. However, the efficacy of stretching with respect to sport performance has come into question. We determined the effects of 4 different warm-up protocols followed by
20 minutes of basketball activity on flexibility and vertical jump
height. Subjects participated in 6 weeks (2 times per week) of
warm-up and basketball activity. The warm-up groups participated in ballistic stretching, static stretching, sprinting, or basketball shooting (control group). We asked 3 questions. First,
what effect does 6 weeks of warm-up exercise and basketball
play have on both flexibility and vertical jump height? We measured sit and reach and vertical jump height before (week ⫺1)
and after (week 7) the 6 weeks. Flexibility increased for the ballistic, static, and sprint groups compared to the control group (p
⬍ 0.0001), while vertical jump height did not change for any of
the groups. Our second question was what is the acute effect of
each warm-up on vertical jump height? We measured vertical
jump immediately after the warm-up on 4 separate occasions
during the 6 weeks (at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6). Vertical jump height
was not different for any group. Finally, our third question was
what is the acute effect of each warm-up on vertical jump height
following 20 minutes of basketball play? We measured vertical
jump height immediately following 20 minutes of basketball
play at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 6. Only the ballistic stretching group
demonstrated an acute increase in vertical jump 20 minutes after basketball play (p ⬍ 0.05). Coaches should consider using
ballistic stretching as a warm-up for basketball play, as it is
beneficial to vertical jump performance.
KEY WORDS. warm-up, static stretching
INTRODUCTION
tretching has long been touted as an important part of fitness and exercise warm-ups because of its putative effects on injury and performance. However, few controlled studies exist to support the assertion that stretching decreases injury (29). Furthermore, a growing body of evidence indicates that the acute effects of stretching may
impair performance, while the chronic effects of stretching on performance are less clear. Because stretching is
routinely included as a warm-up for sport participation,
the effects of a stretching warm-up in the context of sport
performance are an important consideration for coaches
and athletes. If stretching does not reduce injury and may
impair performance, its inclusion as a warm-up may be
unwarranted.
S
Following a single bout of stretching, decreases have
been seen in 1 repetition maximum (1RM) knee flexion
and knee extension (18, 23), maximal voluntary contraction (11), maximal isometric torque (21), maximal isokinetic torque (5, 8, 22), and balance, reaction time, and
movement time (1). Decreases in the strength and power
of acutely stretched muscle may contribute to a decrease
in vertical jump performance; however, conflicting data
exist. Some studies have shown decreases in vertical
jump height following static stretching (3, 9, 31, 34) and
proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching (2), whereas other studies have shown no decrease in
vertical jump height following static stretching (2, 17, 25,
30) and ballistic stretching (30).
Few studies have looked at the chronic effect of
stretching on performance. Two studies indicate that flexibility training does not improve performance. Running
economy did not change following 3 weeks of hip or trunk
flexibility training (13) or following 10 weeks of thigh and
calf flexibility training (24). Additional evidence from correlation studies provides conflicting data regarding the
relationship between flexibility and performance. In elite
men volleyball players, greater hip flexibility was positively correlated with vertical jump height; however, in
elite women volleyball players, greater hip flexibility was
negatively correlated with vertical jump height (19). In
contrast, less flexibility was associated with higher running economy in subelite and recreational runners (4, 12).
Because the inclusion of stretching as part of a preexercise warm-up is common practice, it is necessary to understand its effects on performance. Both the chronic and
acute effects of a stretching warm-up on vertical jump
performance are unclear. Furthermore, no studies have
investigated the effect of stretching combined with sport
participation on vertical jump performance. The purpose
of our study was twofold: to investigate both the chronic
and acute effects of a stretching warm-up combined with
sport participation on vertical jump height and flexibility.
Specifically from a coaching standpoint, we wanted to test
whether stretching prior to basketball play is beneficial
or detrimental to vertical jump performance. Because
basketball is a highly anaerobic activity consisting of repeated sprints, we also wanted to evaluate the effects of
a more specific warm-up of full-court sprints on vertical
jump performance.
To this end, we measured flexibility and vertical jump
height before and after 6 weeks of a static stretching, ballistic stretching, sprinting, or basketball shooting warm799
800
WOOLSTENHULME, GRIFFITHS, WOOLSTENHULME ET
AL.
TABLE 1. Subject characteristics.*
Group
Control
Ballistic
Sprint
Static
Height
(cm)
174
169
176
173
⫾
⫾
⫾
⫾
8
20
9
10
Weight
(kg)
64
65
75
73
⫾
⫾
⫾
⫾
8
12
15
18
Age
(y)
21
20
19
20
⫾
⫾
⫾
⫾
2
2
1
2
n
Women
Men
10
12
11
10
7
8
7
5
3
4
4
5
* Values are means ⫾ SD.
approved by the University Institutional Review Board,
and all subjects gave their informed consent.
Flexibility
FIGURE 1. Experimental design. Pre- (week ⫺1) and posttest
(week 7) vertical jump and sit-and-reach test measurements
were not preceded by a warm-up.
up that was followed by 20 minutes of basketball play.
We also measured vertical jump height every 2 weeks immediately after the warm-up and immediately after basketball play. We asked 3 questions: (a) What is the chronic effect of flexibility training used as part of a warm-up
for sport participation on vertical jump height?; (b) What
is the acute effect of stretching on vertical jump height?;
and (c) What is the acute effect of stretching on vertical
jump height when it is combined with basketball play?
Based on the studies that have shown decreases in power
and strength with stretching, we hypothesized that vertical jump height would decrease with 6 weeks of stretching training that resulted in increased flexibility. We also
expected an acute decrease in vertical jump height immediately following the stretching warm-ups that would
persist throughout the basketball play.
METHODS
Experimental Approach to the Problem
Subjects participated in 6 weeks (2 times per week) of
basketball activity preceded by a warm-up. Subjects were
randomly assigned to 1 of 4 warm-up groups. The warmup consisted of 5 minutes of light jogging followed by 8
minutes of either ballistic stretching, static stretching,
sprinting, or basketball shooting (control). The warm-up
was followed by 20 minutes of basketball play.
Vertical jump height and flexibility (sit and reach)
were measured before and after the 6 weeks of exercise.
Vertical jump height and flexibility measurements were
taken on separate days, 48 hours apart during week ⫺1
(pretest) and during week 7 (posttest). No warm-ups were
performed on the pre- and posttest days. Vertical jump
was also measured every 2 weeks (weeks 0–6) immediately following the warm-up (post–warm-up) and immediately following the basketball play (postbasketball) (see
Figure 1).
Subjects
Forty-three subjects (27 women, 16 men) volunteered for
this study. All subjects were enrolled in beginning or intermediate basketball physical education classes at the
university. All were recreationally active with no formal
jump training background. Subject characteristics are reported in Table 1. Subjects were healthy and did not have
a history of injury to the lower extremities. The study was
Flexibility was measured with a sit-and-reach test (2, 18,
23). Subjects removed their shoes and sat in the straight
leg position with their feet flat against the sit-and-reach
testing box. Subjects placed one hand on the other, with
the middle fingers aligned and elbows extended. Subjects
reached forward with their hands on top of the sit-andreach box, as far as possible, without bending their knees.
The feet were considered as zero, and each subject’s score
was recorded as the distance from the tip of the middle
finger to the feet. Both positive and negative scores were
thus measurable. Because we were interested only in the
change in flexibility, the data are reported as the difference in flexibility pre- to posttest. The best of 3 trials was
used.
Vertical Jump
Vertical jump height was measured with a jump force
plate (Probotics, Inc., Huntsville, AL) that calculated
height based on time in the air. Jump heights were measured for a 2-leg, standing take-off, in which subjects first
bent their knees and then jumped upward as high as possible. Two trials were performed, with a 5-second rest interval between each trial. Vertical jump height was determined as the best of the 2 trials.
Static Stretching Group
The static stretching program consisted of 4 stretching
exercises. Each stretch was held for 30 seconds. All
stretches were performed twice with a 15-second rest between stretches. The following is a description of each
exercise.
Sit and Reach. Subjects were seated with their legs
straight and their feet upright, no more than 6 in. apart.
Subjects bent from the waist until they felt tightness but
not pain.
Lunge—Knee Bent. Subjects were standing and were
instructed to take a long step forward. The front knee was
directly above the ankle, and the other knee was resting
on the floor. Without changing the position of the knee
on the floor or the forward foot, subjects lowered the front
of the hip downward.
Standing Heel Cord—Knee Extended. Subjects stood
on a stair with one ankle off the end of the step and the
other on the step. Subjects kept the back leg straight and
allowed their weight to push the back ankle down as far
as possible without eliciting pain.
Standing Heel Cord—Knee Flexed. Subjects stood on a
stair with one ankle off the end of the step and the other
on the step. Subjects bent the back knee and allowed their
weight to push the back ankle down as far as possible
without eliciting pain.
FLEXIBILITY
AND
VERTICAL JUMP 801
TABLE 2. Vertical jump height (cm).*
Group
Control
Ballistic
Sprint
Static
Pretest
49.5
45.1
49.4
48.7
⫾
⫾
⫾
⫾
3.8
3.3
3.4
3.0
Posttest
49.0
45.7
50.1
48.5
⫾
⫾
⫾
⫾
3.6
2.8
3.2
2.7
* Values are means ⫾ SEM.
FIGURE 2. Change in flexibility after 6 weeks. Values are
means ⫾ SEM. * p ⬍ 0.0001, compared to control.
Ballistic Stretching Group
The ballistic stretching group performed exactly the same
exercises as the static stretching group, except that each
exercise was performed with end range-of-motion, bouncing movements. A metronome was set to 60 b·min⫺1 and
subjects bounced to the beat.
Sprint Group
The sprint group completed five ⬃35-second sprints the
length of the basketball court, with a 30-second rest period in between each sprint. For one 35-second sprint,
subjects began on the baseline, sprinted to the near foul
line and back, sprinted to the half-court line and back,
sprinted to the far foul line and back, and sprinted to the
opposite baseline and back.
Control Group
The control group consisted of a basketball shooting
warm-up with a partner. One person shot the basketball
from anywhere on the court and then rebounded the ball
and passed it to his/her partner. The partner then shot,
rebounded his/her own shot, and passed back to the first
person, who repeated the cycle until the warm-up period
was over (8 minutes).
Statistical Analyses
The pre- and posttest flexibility and vertical jump data
were analyzed with separate 1-way analyses of variance
(ANOVAs). To test the acute effects of stretching on vertical jump, the pre- and posttest vertical jump data (no
warm-up) were compared to the post–warm-up vertical
jump and the postbasketball vertical jump with a repeated-measures ANOVA. All individual pairwise comparisons were made with the Tukey post hoc test, and significance was set at p ⱕ 0.05.
RESULTS
Flexibility
Flexibility increased significantly for all groups, compared to the control group, after the 6 weeks (Figure 2).
The ballistic group increased by 3.3 ⫾ 0.9 cm, the sprint
group increased by 3.0 ⫾ 0.8 cm, and the static group
increased by 2.2 ⫾ 1.0 cm, (p ⬍ 0.0001, values are means
⫾ SEM).
Vertical Jump Height
Vertical jump height did not change after 6 weeks for any
group, indicating that chronic stretching does not affect
vertical jump height (Table 2). Vertical jump height was
FIGURE 3. Vertical jump height without warm-up (no warmup), after warm-up (post–warm-up), and after warm-up and
basketball play (postbasketball). Values are means ⫾ SEM.
* p ⬍ 0.05, significantly greater than no warm-up for the ballistic group; † p ⬍ 0.05, significantly greater than post–warmup for the ballistic group.
not different for any group immediately following the
warm-up compared to the no–warm-up vertical jump
group (pre- and posttest data), indicating that stretching
does not affect acute vertical jump height. However, for
the ballistic stretching group, following 20 minutes of basketball play (postbasketball), vertical jump heights were
2.9 and 3.2 cm greater, compared to post–warm-up and
no–warm-up vertical jump groups, respectively (p ⬍ 0.05)
(Figure 3).
DISCUSSION
We investigated the effects of a sport-specific warm-up, a
sprinting warm-up, and 2 different stretching warm-ups,
on flexibility and vertical jump height. We hypothesized
that 6 weeks of stretching would decrease vertical jump
height. In contrast to our hypothesis, flexibility training
had no effect on vertical jump height. This finding is similar to that observed in other studies (13, 24), which indicated that flexibility training does not improve running
economy, indicating that increased flexibility associated
with chronic stretching has little effect on performance.
We also hypothesized that stretching would have an
immediate negative effect on vertical jump height. However, vertical jump height was not different in the post–
warm-up group compared to the no–warm-up group. Previous research has reported mixed results with regard to
the acute effect of stretching on vertical jump height. Following static stretching, some studies have shown a decrease (3, 9, 31, 34), while other studies have shown no
decrease in vertical jump height (2, 17, 25, 30, 35). The
authors of one study (30) investigated the effects of ballistic stretching on vertical jump height, and they reported no decrease in vertical jump height. Our results would
agree with the growing body of evidence that both static
and ballistic stretching may not decrease acute vertical
jump height.
A recent study by Power et al. (25) reported a decrease
802
WOOLSTENHULME, GRIFFITHS, WOOLSTENHULME ET
AL.
in isometric maximal voluntary force (MVC) of the quadriceps that was not associated with a decrease in vertical
jump height following static stretching. Other studies
have shown decreases in MVC (11), 1RM knee flexion and
extension (18, 23), maximal isometric and isokinetic
torque (5, 8, 21, 22), and balance, reaction time, and
movement time (1) following various protocols of static
stretching. This evidence for decreased muscular performance following stretching may not directly translate
into decreased whole-body vertical jump height performance, as seen in our study and other studies.
Our third question was to determine the effects of
both stretching and basketball play on vertical jump
height. We hypothesized that a decrease in vertical jump
height immediately following the warm-up would persist
after 20 minutes of basketball play. We did not see a decrease after the warm-up, as previously discussed, and we
report a ⬃3-cm increase in vertical jump height for the
ballistic stretching group following basketball play, compared to both the no–warm-up and post–warm-up conditions. This is a finding with potentially significant practical application. Using ballistic stretching as part of a
warm-up before playing basketball may actually be beneficial to vertical jump performance.
The mechanism behind this increase in vertical jump
height is not readily apparent. In a study by Young and
Behm (35), the effect of various warm-ups on vertical
jump was tested. They reported that vertical jump height
was greater after a warm-up consisting of only a 4-minute
run, compared to a static stretching-only warm-up. When
both the running and static stretching were combined
into 1 warm-up, vertical jump height was not different
from the control. The authors suggest that stretching may
have a negative effect on vertical jump performance,
while running has a positive effect. When the 2 were combined into 1 warm-up, they may have cancelled each other out, and no change in vertical jump was seen. These
findings agree with our findings, in that no change in
vertical jump was seen following a warm-up of running
and stretching. Furthermore, in the Young and Behm (35)
study, when practice jumps were included in the running
and stretching warm-up, vertical jump was higher than
the run- and stretch-only warm-up. These data indicate
that the inclusion of sport-specific activity into a warmup may increase vertical jump. Our data are similar, in
that 20 minutes of basketball play combined with ballistic
stretching increased vertical jump.
It is interesting that ballistic stretching caused an increase in vertical jump following basketball play, while
static stretching did not. The dynamic nature of muscle
contractions used in most sports, including basketball,
seems at odds with the traditionally used static stretch
warm-up. Perhaps ballistic stretching provides a more
specific warm-up to the muscle, in that most muscular
movements associated with basketball are not static
stretches of the muscle but rather dynamic contractions
preceded by a ballistic-type stretch. Specificity of stretching to subsequent sport movement is supported by Fletcher and Jones (10), who report that a warm-up including
static stretching decreased acute sprint performance,
while a warm-up including active dynamic stretching increased acute sprint performance. They suggest that the
rehearsal of specific movement patterns through dynamic
active stretching may increase coordination, which allows
the muscle to transition more quickly, and therefore with
increased power, from the eccentric to the concentric
phase of contraction.
Our flexibility results showed a significant increase
following the 6 weeks of training for the static, ballistic,
and sprint groups. Our results indicate that ballistic
stretching is as effective as static stretching for increasing flexibility, and our results agree with those of numerous other studies (6, 7, 14–16, 20, 33). One study (32)
has even reported that ballistic stretching was more effective than static stretching at increasing flexibility. Interestingly, the practice of ballistic stretching has been
contraindicated in the literature, under the premise that
it carries a greater risk of injury (6, 7, 26, 27) and that it
results in greater delayed-onset muscle soreness (6). Unfortunately, the statements from these references that
have established the idea that ballistic stretching is dangerous are not supported with any scientific evidence. No
scientific evidence exists that ballistic stretching actually
causes injury, and some evidence indicates that ballistic
stretching may result in less soreness than static stretching (28).
Our data also indicate that sprinting was as effective
as both static and ballistic stretching at increasing flexibility. The sprint group increased in flexibility to the
same degree as did both stretching groups. A study by
Wiemann (33) reported a significant increase in hip flexion range of motion following 15 minutes of ballistic
stretching, static stretching, and stationary cycling.
These combined results demonstrate that sport-related
activity may increase flexibility to the same extent as
stretching.
In conclusion, ballistic stretching, static stretching,
and sprinting were equally effective at increasing flexibility. Furthermore, when ballistic stretching was included as a warm-up, performance of vertical jump was increased with basketball play. However, an increased flexibility resulting from 6 weeks of stretching had no effect
on vertical jump height. These findings indicate that the
stimulus imposed upon the muscle with an acute stretch
may be very different than the long-term effects of chronic stretching with respect to motor performance. It may
not be a long-term increase in range of motion that is the
primary benefit of stretching, but rather the acute stimulus placed upon the muscle in a stretching warm-up.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Stretching has long been recommended as part of a
warm-up for sports participation. The type of recommended stretching has traditionally been a slow stretch
that is held at the point of discomfort but not pain, with
the oft-repeated ‘‘Don’t bounce’’ warning. Bouncing during stretching is thought to increase the risk of injury
while stretching. Yet no evidence exists to support this
claim, and our study indicates that ballistic stretching
(defined herein as controlled, bouncing movements performed at the end of the range of motion of a stretch) can
be safely and effectively used as a warm-up for basketball
play. Ballistic stretching is as effective as traditional static or no-bounce stretching at increasing flexibility. Furthermore, ballistic stretching used as part of a warm-up
for basketball play increases vertical jump performance.
All of the subjects who engaged in a ballistic stretching
warm-up and then played basketball increased their vertical jump heights by about 3 cm. We only measured vertical jump height after 20 minutes of basketball play, so
FLEXIBILITY
it is unclear when the increase may first appear or if it
persists until the end of a basketball game, but clearly a
3-cm increase in jump height would be beneficial for as
long as it lasts. Therefore, we suggest that ballistic
stretching is a safe and beneficial warm-up for basketball
activity. Coaches should consider having their players use
ballistic (or bouncing) stretching, as it may more closely
mimic the muscular movements of basketball activity and
thus provide a more specific, and therefore beneficial,
warm-up.
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Address correspondence to Dr. Allen C. Parcell, allen㛮
parcell@byu.edu.