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oai:openrepository.aut.ac.nz:10292/52922026-06-13T16:20:59Zcom_10292_3col_10292_5
AUT Research Repository advisor Reid, Duncan author Kim, Joshua 2013-04-22T22:41:02Z 2013-04-22T22:41:02Z 2012 https://hdl.handle.net/10292/5292 Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of on-going hamstring stretching required to maintain knee extension ROM following an initial stretching programme. Study Design: A test-retest randomised control trial with repeated measures was undertaken with 63 university-aged males as participants. Background: Stretching exercises are commonly prescribed during warm-up and cool-down, and within training and rehabilitation programmes with a common aim to improve muscle extensibility and joint range of motion. Previous research has demonstrated that stretching the hamstring muscle group once a day, five days a week for a six-week period improves knee extension range of motion. However, it has been demonstrated that this improvement is short-lived and starts to reduce once the stretching intervention is ceased. To maintain the improvement in range of motion gained following an initial stretching programme, an on-going stretching programme may be required. There is, however, little research to demonstrate the optimal frequency of on-going stretching required to maintain the range of motion once the initial improvements have been achieved. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and a control group. The two intervention groups both stretched for 30 seconds three times, once per day, five days a week, for an initial six weeks. The intervention was an active knee extension static hamstring stretch in a supine position. After the six-week initial stretching programme, participants allocated to intervention group one continued stretching with the same stretching routine once a day, three days per week, and participants in intervention group two once a day, for one day per week, for a further six weeks. Participants in the control group did not stretch over the 12-week intervention period. Knee extension range of movement was assessed by an active knee extension test using an electronic goniometer at baseline, week six and week 12. Results: Following the initial six-week stretching programme there was a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in knee extension range of motion (mean- 16.2 degrees) in both intervention groups. Over the further six-week on-going stretching programme those participants in intervention group one (stretched three days a week) maintained their improvement in range of motion, whereas those in intervention group two (stretched one day per week) did not. The difference between the groups was significant (p < 0.05). No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in knee extension range of motion in the control group. Conclusion: The findings of this study were consistent with previous research that has demonstrated a six-week static hamstring stretching programme significantly improves the knee extension range of motion. The on-going hamstring stretching programme with the frequency of three times a week was required to maintain the initial improvement in knee extension ROM for 6 weeks. This finding may be useful to maintain the benefits of stretching exercises with minimal effort, and therefore potentially improve compliance with on-going stretching exercises. en On-going stretching Extensibility Compliance The Frequency of Hamstring Stretches Required to Maintain Knee Extension Range of Motion Following an Initial Six-Week Stretching Programme Thesis 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 URL https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/bitstreams/e7a1428b-ad94-4849-8b36-539f43df6217/download File MD5 451579c533d9e43eda126b07e919cc20 1020948 application/pdf KimJ.pdf URL https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/bitstreams/4c76b1fb-f93c-4a4d-8d2b-beaf729126bc/download File MD5 f2213ef2053f37f45602ef10dcb82fa3 128452 text/plain KimJ.pdf.txt