The Effects of Dynamic and Ballistic Stretching with Differing Rest Intervals Prior to

Vertical Jump inDIII Male Football Players

Ashley Fox

Hope College, Holland MI

Spring 2015

AbstractStretching programs are often utilized in sports for injury prevention and to warm-up muscles prior to competition. Varied stretching techniques exist (eg. static, dynamic, and ballistic); however, controversy exists regarding which stretching technique will provide the greatest benefit on subsequent vertical jump height. In addition, little is known regarding how the time interval between stretching and jumping will affect performance. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of dynamic and ballistic stretching on vertical jump height with differing rest intervals between stretch and vertical jump in DIII male football players. It was hypothesized that dynamic stretching would increase vertical jump height to a greater degree than ballistic stretching, and that vertical jump height would decrease as the length of the rest interval between stretching and jumping increased. Ten DIII male football players aged between 19 and 22 were chosen to participate. After being familiarized with testing and stretching procedures, each participant had his vertical jump height measured 0, 5, 15, and 30 min after both ballistic and dynamic stretching. A minimum of 48 hours separated each testing session. The stretching program and rest interval between stretch and jump were counterbalanced for each participant to rule out any order effects. The data showed that dynamic stretching produced significantly greater vertical jump scores when compared to ballistic stretching (-0.725±0.304; p=0.041). There was no effect of time on vertical jump heights (-0.400 to 0.400± 0.258 to 0.587; p=1.00) however, vertical jump heights were highest immediately after and 15 minutes after participating in the stretching. It is therefore suggested that football players, prior to competing, should warm-up using a dynamic stretching protocol in order to enhance their performance in vertical jump height.

INTRODUCTION

Most athletes have a warm-up routine that they perform before competing. These warm- up

routines are important to reduce the athlete’s risk of injury (6). More often than not, there is

downtime for players between warm-up and when they go into competition. The proposed study

will examine the benefits of different stretching techniques, via vertical jump height, over

various time intervals between the warm-up and the actual performance to stimulate a game like

situation.

Ballistic stretching has not received a lot of attention when it comes examining its effect

on vertical jump height. A study that did look at effects of ballistic stretching by Kirmizigil, et al

(3) showed that vertical jump height increased immediately following ballistic stretching. In this

study the lumbar extensors, gluteus maximus, and hamstrings were stretched ballistically for 5

seconds each. To examine the effects of ballistic stretching on vertical jump height, a study

involving twenty males and females was executed (4). These results showed no significant

difference when no stretching was compared with ballistic stretching (4). To further the research,

Bradley et al. (6) did a study on ballistic stretching and its effects on vertical jump performance

over different time intervals. Eighteen male university students were the subjects in this study

and found that the vertical jump height decreased immediately after the 10 minutes of stretching

(hamstrings, quadriceps, and plantarflexor muscles), increased five minutes after stretching, but

then returned to control value after fifteen minutes had passed (6). These results show to be

inconsistent with the previously stated study. Due to the inconsistency in the findings for ballistic

stretching, further research is needed.

Dynamic stretching is another form of stretching that has also been studied recently, but

does not have much information regarding vertical jump height. In a study using female dancers,

dynamic stretching and a combination of both dynamic and static stretching showed an increase

in vertical jump height immediately after stretching gluts, quadriceps, hamstrings and calve

muscles for 60 seconds, when compared to static stretching (1). Another study looked at the

effects of secondary warm up following dynamic and static stretching on vertical jump height

immediately after the stretch and over different time intervals (5). Immediately after the dynamic

stretch and secondary warm up, the vertical jump height increased by 7.2% and then it decreased

gradually after 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 minutes (5). A separate study done by Jaggers et al. (4)

found that dynamic stretching (focused on hip flexors, extensors, calves, glutes, and quadriceps,

performed five times slowly followed by ten times as quickly and powerfully as posible) did not

show a significant increase in vertical jump height when compared to a non-stretching. Again

these studies showed inconsistent results.

Due to the inconsistency of the results in dynamic stretching along with no studies being

done on the effect of the different time intervals in between dynamic stretching and performance

only incorporating a stretching program, further research is needed. No other previous studies

have looked at ballistic versus dynamic stretching effects on vertical jump height over differing

time intervals in DIII male football players either, therefore resulting this present study to be

necessary. DIII football players, specifically wide receivers, defensive backs, and linebackers

were chosen to be the subjects of this study because the results will be directly applicable to their

sport and specific position, and the results can be used and applied to improve their performance.

It is predicted that dynamic stretching when compared to ballistic, is expected to increase vertical

jump height to a greater degree when compared to ballistic based upon results of a study

focusing on the same muscle groups with a similar stretching tie (1,5). It is also thought that

vertical jump height will decrease over time when looking at both methods of stretching (6,5).

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine dynamic and ballistic stretching programs’ effect on

vertical jump height with differing time intervals of rest between stretch and vertical jump on

DIII wide receivers, defensive backs, and linebackers.

METHODS

Participants

A mix of ten Junior Varsity and Varsity wide receivers, defensive backs, and linebackers of a

football team from a private Division III college (ages 18-22) participated in this study. All

participants from the football team (Varsity and Junior Varsity) were contacted and recruited

through the head coach, which resulted with 10 players volunteering to participate. If the athlete

had a lower extremity injury, or consuming any illegal performance enhancing drugs they were

exempt from the study. Written informed consent forms approved by the Hope College ethics

board were obtained from all participants.

Study Design

This study was designed to examine the effects of two stretching techniques, dynamic and

ballistic on vertical jump height with differing times of rest intervals between stretching and

performance. All participants were familiarized with both stretching programs and techniques,

along with VJ, and aerobic warm-up procedures. Each day the players performed an aerobic

warm-up, followed by their randomly assigned stretching program. The stretching program and

rest interval between stretch and jump were counterbalanced for each participant to rule out any

order effects. The vertical jump (VJ) height was measured three times after their randomly

assigned rest interval. All testing was done prior to morning or afternoon workouts and

performed in Devos Fieldhouse. (Refer to Figure 1.)

Subjects: 10 Hope College Football Players

Days 2-9: Stretching

programs and rest intervals were

counterbalanced for all

participants.

Day 1: Familiarization, Aerobic Warm-Up, VJ, Stretching Programs

Dynamic

VJ after 30 min

Ballistic

VJ after 30 min

VJ after 0 min VJ after 0 min

VJ after 5 min

VJ after 15 min

VJ after 5 min

VJ after 15 min

Figure 1. Study design

Procedure

The first day of the study was used to familiarize the participants with the aerobic warm-

up, the dynamic and ballistic stretching techniques and programs, as well as the vertical jump

procedure. Visits two through nine consisted of each participant performing a vertical jump after

a randomly assigned stretching program and time interval. All of the time intervals (0, 5, 15, and

30 minutes) were counterbalanced among the participants along with their assigned stretching

program (Dynamic or Ballistic). During the assigned time interval of rest participants stood and

watch film of one of their high energy games from last season to stimulate a “sideline” like

feeling.

All stretching and vertical jumps took place in the DeVos Fieldhouse aerobic room. Both

Dynamic and Ballistic stretching programs targeted the four main muscle groups of the lower

extremities involved in performing maximum vertical jump. These muscle groups included the

quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and gluteal muscles. Participants were asked to refrain from any

vigorous activity outside of normal team workouts 24 hours prior to testing.

Aerobic Warm-up Procedure

Each subject participated in an aerobic warm-up of a set distance. All participants ran together at

a moderate pace. This consisted of three laps around the main basketball court of DeVos

Fieldhouse and three down and backs (baseline to baseline of the basketball court). A 60 second

recovery period was allotted prior to stretching.

Dynamic Stretching Procedure

For the dynamic stretching program the participants performed four stretching exercises. Each

exercise was performed for 40 seconds (allowing 20 seconds for each side). The quadricep

muscles were stretched by having each participant begin in a wide stance, then kick their heels

back to the buttocks in an alternating fashion. The hamstrings were stretched by having each

participant walk forward kicking their legs to maximum height without sensation of tension

while the foot was dorsiflexed. To stretch the calves, the participants began in a downward dog

position and begin to perform a stationary jog making sure to drive their heels to the ground. For

the stretch targeting the gluteal muscles, the participants stood and pulled their knee to their chest

alternating legs, each knee was held to the chest for one second prior to switching sides.

Ballistic Stretching Procedure

For the ballistic stretching program the participants performed four stretching exercises. Each

exercise was performed for 20 seconds on the right side and then repeated for another 20 seconds

on the left side. To stretch the quadriceps muscles, the participant layed in a prone position with

their knee flexed. A theraband was wrapped around their foot and they held it with both hands

above their head. The participant then pulled on the theraband driving the heel of the foot closer

to the buttocks and then released. This was done in a “bounce” fashion where one bounce should

happen every second. The hamstring muscles were stretched by the participant standing feet

shoulder width apart followed by bending over to touch their toes. Again, this was done in a

bouncing fashion. Next, the participant assumed a one leg push-up position to stretch their

calves. They then drove the heel of their foot that is on the ground towards the floor and then

brought it back to neutral. The final stretch that the participants performed targeted the gluteal

muscles. To perform this stretch, the participant laid flat on their back with one knee flexed with

the opposite ankle resting on that knee. The head, shoulders, and back of the participants were

kept flat on the floor. Wrapping their hands behind and just above the knee they brought that

flexed knee towards their chest and bounced the stretch.

Vertical Jump Height Protocol

The Vertec was used to measure the participant’s vertical jump height. The participants started

with their feet together and their dominant side (the hand that they use to write with) closest to

the Vertec. The participants then reached their dominant arm as high as possible (this is where

the bottom vane of the Vertec was placed). The Vertec was then raised 12in if participant could

jump higher than top vane, this was added on to final measurement of the Vertec. The jump was

performed taking off from two feet without any extra steps taken before jumping. The participant

bent their knees to a comfortable angle and swung their arms back before jumping. While in the

air, the participant hit the highest vane possible. This was repeated three times, with a 30 second

rest interval between jumps, and the maximum height was recorded. The procedure for the VJ

followed the procedure outlined by Beam et. al (8), and is the same used in the NFL combine.

RESULTS

The average VJ height after each rest interval for both ballistic and dynamic stretching is

shown in Table 1. With the exception of after the 5 min rest interval, it can be seen that VJ

height averages after dynamic stretching with varying rest intervals were higher when compared

to the averages of VJ height after ballistic stretching. Dynamic stretching prior to jumping

resulted in a significant increase in vertical jump height compared to ballistic stretching when

data was pooled across all rest intervals (MD=.725*±.304; p=0.041). This can be seen in Table 2.

Stretching using either the ballistic or dynamic method showed no significant difference when

compared to no stretching prior to jumping (p>.05). As part of the familiarization phase of the

study each participant performed a baseline VJ after an aerobic warm up with no stretching

allowed prior to jumping. VJ height averages for both ballistic and dynamic stretching after

allotted rest intervals are compared to the average baseline VJ height in Table 3. Figure 2 shows

that dynamic stretching significantly increased VJ height when compared to ballistic stretching.

VJ height after ballistic stretching stayed close to the baseline VJ height. VJ heights were the

heights immediately (mean 30.4±0.792) and 15 minutes (30.1±0.706) after performing dynamic

stretching although these results were not significant. Each day participants were randomly

assigned a stretching program along with a random rest interval. The daily averages of each

vertical jump height are displayed in figure 3. This figure shows there was no order effect in

testing

Table 1. Means of VJ Height after Ballistic and Dynamic Stretching Along with Assigned Rest Intervals

Type Timing Mean VJ (in) Std. Error

Ballistic

0 min 30.0 0.745

Ballistic 5 min 30.2 0.696Ballistic 15 min 29.2 0.867Ballistic

30 min 29.8 0.696

Dynamic

0 min 30.9 0.567

Dynamic 5 min 29.9 0.936Dynamic15 min 31.0 0.869

Dynamic

30 min 30.3 0.716

Table 2. Significance of Between Stretching Groups

(I) type (II) typeMean Difference (I-II)

Std. Error Sig.

Ballistic Dynamic -.725* 0.304 0.041

Dynamic Ballistic .725* 0.304 0.041

Note*; *:significant, Std, Error: standard error, Sig.: p-value

Table 3. Average Vertical Jump Height Following Stretch and Rest interval

TimeMean VJ (in) Std. Error

Baseline 30.0 0.803B 0min 30.0 0.745B 5 min 29.7 0.857B 15 min 30.8 0.800B 30 min 30.8 0.593D 0 min 30.4 0.792D 5 min 29.4 0.846D 15 min 30.1 0.706D 30min 30.1 0.836

Note* Baseline: vertical jump with no stretch, B: Ballistic, D:Dynamic

Figure 2. Mean vertical jump height at different rest intervals following dynamic or ballistic stretching. Dynamic stretching produced a significantly higher vertical jump compared to ballistic stretching (p=0.041). There was no effect of rest interval. Stretching programs did not increase vertical jump compared to baseline.

Figure 3. Daily average for vertical jump height regardless of stretching program or rest interval. No order effect present.

DISCUSSION

This study was designed to examine the effects of two stretching techniques, dynamic and

ballistic on vertical jump height with differing times of rest intervals between stretching and

performance. Each day the players performed an aerobic warm-up, followed by their randomly

assigned stretching program. The stretching program and rest interval between stretch and jump

were counterbalanced for each participant to rule out any order effects. Dynamic stretching prior

to jumping resulted in a significant increase in vertical jump height compared to ballistic

stretching when data was pooled across all rest intervals (p=0.041) consistent with some past

studies (1,5,6). However these finding contradict findings by Kirmizigil, et al (3), this may be

because in this study ballistic stretching was performed for only 5 seconds and in this study

stretching was performed for 20 seconds on each side, because the stretch was performed for a

longer amount of time in this study more micro tears in the muscles may have occurred resulting

in a less powerful contraction. There was no effect of the rest interval on vertical jump height,

even though results showed VJ height to increase immediately (Mean= 30.4±0.792) consistent

with past studies 1,5) and 15 minutes (Mean=30.1±0.706) after dynamic stretching when

compared to baseline VJ height (Mean=30.0± .803) the results were not significant. Neither

stretching program increased vertical jump significantly compared to no stretching (baseline),

which was consistent with past research (4).

Results suggest that a dynamic stretching protocol is more effective ballistic

at maximizing vertical jump height, athletes are encouraged to use a dynamic protocol prior to

competitions where they will be jumping (eg. football, volleyball, basketball, etc.). There are

some limitations to the study. The participant’s actions cannot be controlled outside of the study

(amount of sleep, attitude, effort, diet, social life etc.). There are some limitations that can be

associated with the vertical jump height test such as how much the participant bends their knees

and how much they swing their arms. Make up testing days sometimes had to be held less then

24 hours prior to the following scheduled testing day, which could have skewed individual

results due to muscle fatigue. As a group delayed muscle fatigue may have occurred from

conditioning days 48hours prior to testing skewing results preventing maximal power to be used

during VJ. Future studies may want to use force plates while measuring VJ to directly measure

the force and power produced to get more accurate results. Looking at different stretches effect

on power of the upper body would be beneficial for pitcher, batters, quarterbacks, and lacrosse

players.

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