EFFECTS OF DIFFERENTIAL STRETCHING PROTOCOLS DURING WARM-UPS ON HIGH-SPEED MOTOR CAPACITIES IN PROFESSIONAL SOCCER PLAYERS

stretching protocols during warm-ups on high-speed motor ca-pacities in professional soccer players. J. Strength Cond. Res. 20(1):203±207. 2006.—The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of different modes of stretching within a pre-exercise warm-up on high-speed motor capacities important to soccer per-formance. Eighteen professional soccer players were tested for countermovement vertical jump, stationary 10-m sprint, flying 20-m sprint, and agility performance after different warm-ups consisting of static stretching, dynamic stretching, or no stretch-ing. There was no significant difference among warm-ups for the vertical jump: mean 6 SD data were 40.4 6 4.9 cm (no stretch), 39.4 6 4.5 cm (static), and 40.2 6 4.5 cm (dynamic). The dynam-ic-stretch protocol produced significantly faster 10-m sprint times than did the no-stretch protocol: 1.83 6 0.08 seconds (no stretch), 1.85 6 0.08 seconds (static), and 1.87 6 0.09 seconds (dynamic). The dynamic- and static-stretch protocols produced significantly faster flying 20-m sprint times than did the no-stretch protocol: 2.41 6 0.13 seconds (no stretch), 2.37 6 0.12 seconds (static), and 2.37 6 0.13 seconds (dynamic). The dynam-ic-stretch protocol produced significantly faster agility perfor-mance than did both the no-stretch protocol and the static-stretch protocol: 5.20 6 0.16 seconds (no stretch), 5.22 6 0.18 seconds (static), and 5.14 6 0.17 seconds (dynamic). Static stretching does not appear to be detrimental to high-speed per-formance when included in a warm-up for professional soccer players. However, dynamic stretching during the warm-up was most effective as preparation for subsequent high-speed perfor-mance