27th Annual Student Research Conference
Is Stretching after Cardiovascular Exercise Necessary to Improve Hamstring Flexibility?
Anna L. Barry-Ford
Dr. Jerry Mayhew and Ms. Jana Arabas, Faculty Mentors
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of stretching after cardiovascular exercise on hamstring flexibility. Twelve students (ages 18-21 yrs) enrolled in a cardiovascular activity class were measured for hamstring flexibility using the sit-and-reach test. Subjects were randomly divided into a stretching group (SG, n = 6) and a no stretching group (NS, n = 6). Both groups participated in various cardiovascular endurance training activities for 20 minutes/day, 2 days/week for 12 weeks. SG performed hamstring stretching exercises for 5 minutes following their cardiovascular work. SG made a significant 4.6% increase while NS showed only a 0.9% difference. However, due to the large variability in each group, there was no significant difference between SG and NS in their improvement in sit-and-reach performance. Group effect size suggests that stretching exercises following a cardiovascular exercise session may improve sit-and-reach flexibility to a greater degree than no stretching.
Keywords: exercise, stretching, hamstrings, flexibility, cardiovascular, endurance, stretch
Topic(s):Exercise Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 8-7
Location: GEO - SUB
Time: 3:30