Flexibility Retention 3 Weeks after a 5-Day Training Regime
in Journal of Sport RehabilitationObjective:
To determine the retention of flexibility 25 days after 5 days of three 30-second stretches.
Design:
A 2 × 4 repeated-measures factorial. Treatment and time were independent variables. The dependent variable was flexibility as measured by a sit-and-reach box.
Measurements:
33 college students were tested before and after stretching for 5 consecutive days and without stretching on days 8 and 30. Control subjects were prone for 15 minutes; stretch subjects received 15 min of diathermy or sham diathermy and then performed three 30-second standing right-hamstring stretches.
Results:
Flexibility was greater on days 5, 8, and 30 than day 1, but days 5, 8, and 30 were not different from each other.
Conclusion:
Gains in flexibility are retained for at least 3 weeks after a stretching program. It also appears that 2 sets of 3 repetitions of a sit-and-reach test is sufficient stimulus to induce long-term flexibility gains.
The authors are with the Department of Physical Education at Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602.
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