Effects of flexibility training with different volumes and intensities on the vertical jump performance of adult women

Abstract

The prescription of stretching exercises prior to physical and sports activities should consider control of training volumes and intensities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of different volumes and intensities of flexibility training on the vertical jump performance of adult women. The vertical jump of twenty-five women (28.24 ± 3.54 years) was assessed using the countermovement jump (CMJ) test on a contact platform (Jump Test Pro, Ergojump - BRASIL). The flexibility training was randomly performed in four conditions, on four consecutive days: a) control (C), no flexibility training; b) submaximal stretching (A3), with 03 sets of 10 seconds; c) maximum stretching (F1), with 01 series of 10 seconds; and d) maximum stretching (F3), with 03 series of 10 seconds. ANOVA for repeated measures (p = 0.05) showed a significant difference between the jumps. Loss of (Δ% = 2.7%, p = 0.014) occurred in the (F1) condition; (Δ% = -3.6%, p = 0.001) in (A3) and (Δ% = -6.5%, p = 0.001) in (F3). The reduction caused by (F1) was significantly lower (p = 0.016) than that caused by (F3) while (A3) showed a smaller reduction in jump capacity (-0.87cm) than (F3) (-1,66cm). These results suggest that the stretching at maximum intensities (one and three series) and submaximal (three series) reduced the performance of vertical jump, showing that the greater the volume of stretching exercises, the greater the deleterious effects on jump performance.