29th Annual Student Research Conference
Effect of Static Stretching on Vertical Jump Performance in Soccer Players
Aaron M. Patterson*, William B. Wright, and Brendan L. Boyle
Dr. Jerry Mayhew, Faculty Mentor
Stretching during a warm-up is assumed to improve performance. The purpose of our study was to measure the effect of warm-up and stretching on vertical jump performance. Ten club soccer players performed 3 vertical jumps on a Vertec with no prior warm-up or stretching. After initial jumps, subjects warmed up on a stationary bike for 5 minutes and performed a 5-minute stretching routine for lower limbs. Following stretching, subjects performed a second set of three jumps. There was no significant difference between pre- and post-stretching vertical jump performances (p=0.08). Seven of the participants improved their jump, two decreased in jump height, and one subject remained the same. Effect size (ES = 0.29) indicated there may be a small practical effect of warm-up and stretching before performance. In conclusion, a warm-up and stretching routine is likely to produce only a slight improvement in jumping performance in club athletes.
Keywords: Static Stretching, Vertical Jump, Performance, Club Soccer Players, Warm Up, Vertec, Routine, Improvement
Topic(s):Athletic Training
Exercise Science
Health Science
Presentation Type: Poster
Session: 7-7
Location: GEO-SUB
Time: 3:30