EFFECTS OF STATIC STRETCHING ON MAXIMAL ISOKINETIC TORQUE

The effects of 20 seconds of agonist (AGO), antagonist (ANT) or no (NO) pre-exercise stretch on concentric (CON) and eccentric (ECC) maximal isokinetic torque produced at the knee were examined. Twelve male semi-pro rugby players performed dominant isokinetic knee extension following the specified stretch protocol. One-way Repeated Measures ANOVA revealed AGO to be significantly less (p < 0.05) than the other protocols for both CON (270 28 Nm) and ECC (309 42 Nm) torque. There was no difference between the ANT or NO for either CON (303 35 Nm and 304 38 Nm, respectively) or ECC (341 40 Nm and 33644 Nm). The results support the theory that pre-exercise agonist stretching may lead to performance decrements in maximal concentric torque production. KEY WORDS: warm-up, quadriceps, concentric, eccentric. INTRODUCTION: Most athletes undertake stretching as part of their warm-up prior to engaging in physical activity. However, although chronic stretching programs undoubtedly play a role in many athletes ' training programs, their benefits are still under debate (High et al., 1989; Magnusson et al., 1998; Wilson et al., 1994). In addition, some research indicates that acute pre-exercise stretching could have a negative impact on skills where success is related t