Table 4. Effects of stretching on changes in concentric muscle force and electromyographic activity.
Dependant variable Streching method Pre Post 0 min Post 20 min Post 60 min
Concentric muscle force (Nm) SS 92.0 ± 20.6 88.2 ± 20.1 * 87.5 ± 20.1 * 87.6 ± 20.2 *
Relative change - -4.1 ± 3.7 -4.9 ± 6.3 -4.7 ± 4.9
DS 91.4 ± 18.6 88.9 ± 18.8 89.7 ± 19.8 88.2 ± 19.0
Relative change - -2.8 ± 6.2 -2.2 ± 6.3 -3.6 ± 6.9
SS-DS 88.4 ± 18.3 84.4 ± 18.3 * 84.9 ± 18.4 * 84.4 ± 17.4 *
Relative change - -4.7 ± 5.8 -4.0 ± 5.5 -4.2 ± 6.9
DS-SS 88.1 ± 17.6 84.6 ± 16.5 * 84.5 ± 18.0 84.5 ± 18.3 *
Relative change - -3.4 ± 7.4 -4.0 ± 7.9 -4.3 ± 6.3
RMS values (medial hamstrings) (μV) SS 356.1 ± 107.2 323.1 ± 93.6 * 306.8 ± 104.6 * 305.7 ± 106.2 *
Relative change - -8.4 ± 12.1 -11.8 ± 22.1 -12.8 ± 19.5
DS 365.2 ± 106.7 330.7 ± 96.6 * 322.4 ± 95.7 * 316.2 ± 101.5 *
Relative change - -9.0 ± 11.4 -11.1 ± 13.0 -12.2 ± 16.3
SS-DS 373.5 ± 120.5 341.6 ± 126.8 * 328.9 ± 113.1 * 329.7 ± 120.9 *
Relative change - -9.0 ± 14.1 -11.3 ± 14.4 -11.0 ± 19.0
DS-SS 356.3 ± 115.9 313.6 ± 98.7 * 309.3 ± 106.7 * 325.9 ± 107.1 *
Relative change - -11.4 ± 6.3 -13.0 ± 12.9 -8.3 ± 10.5
RMS values (lateral hamstrings) (μV) SS 288.4 ± 98.9 275.1 ± 107.6 265.8 ± 114.6 252.7 ± 99.7 *
Relative change - -5.4 ± 11.5 -8.9 ± 17.3 -12.7 ± 14.4
DS 290.8 ± 111.1 251.3 ± 89.5 * 247.9 ± 86.4 * 253.1 ± 98.7 *
Relative change - -11.8 ± 11.8 -12.8 ± 13.2 -12.2 ± 11.5
SS-DS 278.0 ± 103.0 259.9 ± 90.3 256.6 ± 89.5 256.7 ± 103.3
Relative change - -5.0 ± 10.0 -5.9 ± 13.9 -7.1 ± 18.4
DS-SS 271.1 ± 100.9 244.6 ± 100.4 241.7 ± 97.6 249.5 ± 110.6
Relative change - -8.4 ± 18.6 -8.9 ± 24.5 -6.9 ± 26.7
RMS, root mean square; SS, static stretching; DS, dynamic stretching; SS-DS, static stretching followed by dynamic stretching; DS-SS, dynamic stretching followed by static stretching. Values are expressed as the mean ± standard deviation.
*p < 0.05 compared with the pre-stretching value.
†  p < 0.05 compared with the DS-SS session.