title: The acute effect of different stretching methods on sprint performance in taekwondo practitioners.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of different stretching types on sprint performance in taekwondo practitioners.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve male taekwondo practitioners performed stretching exercises using different types (ballistic, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation [PNF], static stretching) in a random order at three-day intervals; there was also a control condition involving no stretching exercises. The subjects performed 2 maximal 20-m sprints (with 10-m split times also recorded) with a recovery period of 1 minute immediately post stretching and at 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes after stretching. They also performed these sprints before doing the stretching exercises.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study results showed that sprint times significantly increased after static stretching (10-m pre =1.84±0.07 s, 10-m post =1.89±0.08 s; 20-m pre =3.33±0.19 s, 20-m post= 3.38±0.2 s), PNF stretching (10-m pre =1.84±0.07 s, 10-m post =1.89±0.08 s; 20-m pre =3.33±0.19 s, 20-m post =3.38±0.20 s) and ballistic stretching (pre =1.84±0.08 s, post =1.86±0.07 s; 20-m pre =3.33±0.20 s, 20-m post =3.35±0.21 s) (P<0.05). In the static stretching condition, 10-m and 20-m sprint performance had fully returned to normal at 15 minutes after stretching. In the PNF stretching condition, 20-m sprint performance returned to normal levels at 15 minutes after stretching, while 10-m performance took 20 minutes to recover fully. In the ballistic stretching method, both 10-m and 20-m sprint performances had fully recovered at 5 minutes after stretching.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is therefore concluded that the acute effects of static, PNF and ballistic stretching may negatively affect sprint performance, although sprint performance is less affected after ballistic stretching than after the other stretching types. Therefore, it is not advisable to perform PNF or static stretching immediately before sprint performance.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey.
authors.forename: Utku
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Alemdaroğlu
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey - ykoklu@pau.edu.tr.
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Köklü
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Sport Sciences, Ankara University, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mitat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016139:Martial Arts / Q000502:physiology*; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises / Q000379:methods*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D011897:Random Allocation; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*