Negative effect of static stretching restored when combined with a sport specific warm-up component

There is substantial evidence that static stretching may inhibit performance in strength and power activities. However, most of this research has involved stretching routines dissimilar to those practiced by athletes. The I)purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the decline in performance normally associated with static stretching pervades when the static stretching is conducted prior to a sport specific warm-up. Thirteen netball players completed two experimental warm-up conditions. Day I warm-Lip involved a submaximal run followed by 15 min of static stretching and a netball specific skill warm-up. Day 2 followed the same design: however, the static stretching,vas replaced with a 15 min dynamic warm-up routine to allow for a direct comparison between the static stretching and dynamic warm-up effects. Participants performed a countermovement vertical jump and 20 in sprint after the first warm-Up intervention (static or dynamic) and also after the netball specific skill warm-up. The static stretching condition resulted in significantly worse performance than the dynamic warm-up in vertical jump height (-4.2%, 0.40 ES) and 20 m sprint time (1.4%, 0.34 ES) (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences in either performance variable were evident when the skill-based warm-up was preceded by static stretching ora dynamic warm-up routine. This suggests that the practice of a subsequent high-intensity skill based warm-up restored the differences between the two warm-up interventions. Hence, if static stretching is to be included ill the warm-up period, it is recommended that a period of high-intensity sport-specific skills based activity is included prior to the on-court/field performance. (C) 2008 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.