Effect of three types of flexibility training on active and passive hip range of motion.

AIM: The aim of this study was to measure the effect of 3 types of flexibility training, hold-relax (HR, N.=9), active isolated stretching (AIS, N.=9) and passive static stretching (PSS, N.=11) on passive and active range of motion of hip flexion after 9 weeks of flexibility training. METHODS: The subjects were physical education college students (14 men and 15 women) whose ages ranged between 20 and 24 years (age mean 21.79, SD: 2.45). A multigroup pre- post-test design with three experimental groups was used. The range of movement was measured by digitalization of pre-test and post-test images. RESULTS: Significant differences were found among the pre- and post-test for the three groups (P<0.05) on passive range of motion of the hip flexion, although there were no significant post-test differences between experimental groups. However, on the active range of motion of hip flexion there was only significant improvement among the pre-test and post-tests for PSS group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results suggest that PSS is the best option for the improvement of both active and passive range of motion.

Acute effect of active isolated stretching technique on range of motion and peak isometric force.

AIM: The aim of the study was to ascertain the acute effect of stretching technique Active Isolated Stretching (AIS) over the range of active and passive movement of the hip in flexion and peak isometric force (PIF) knee flexion. METHODS: The left and right leg of seventeen male Physical Education students (Mean age±SD=23±1 yrs, body mass=71.77±7.78 kg, height=175.5±7.5 cm) were treated as control and experimental groups and each leg was assessed separately for active (AROM) and passive (PROM) range of motion (ROM) and force. Immediately after the pretest, training was conducted with a single stretching session using AIS technique, consisting of 4 sets of 12 repetitions. Upon completion of the session, after 15s, the post-test was performed to evaluate ROM and isometric strength. RESULTS: The factorial ANOVA showed significant increases in AROM (P<0.05) and PROM (P<0.001) after the application of AIS in the experimental group. Only in AROM the value obtained in the experimental group was significantly greater than for the control group (p=0.018) AIS treatment did not affect stretching PIF values. CONCLUSION: We concluded that technique of AIS on the hamstring muscles was effective in improving acute ROM and caused no significant changes in PIF of knee flexion.