Facilitating Immediate Impact on Explosive Power and Recovery Ability of Volleyball Athletes' Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Receptors During Jumping

Abstract

Background:Stretching during warm-ups is commonly practiced among athletes and is believed to have an impact on performance. However, the specific effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on athletes' explosive force (EF) and jump distance (JR) are not well understood. This study seeks to address this gap by investigating the effects of PNF stretching on EF and JR in male volleyball players. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to determine the effects of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on athletes' explosive force (EF) and jump distance (JR). Specifically, the study aims to compare the performance of volleyball players in EF and JR before and after two different PNF stretching protocols. Method: Twelve male volleyball players participated in the study, with various anthropometric measurements recorded. Two PNF stretching protocols were implemented: Protocol 1 involved four sets of maximum voluntary isometric contractions followed by thirty seconds of passive stretching, while Protocol 2 involved four sets of maximum voluntary isometric contractions followed by sixty seconds of passive stretching. EF and JR were assessed using the height of the countermovement vertical leap measured with the Leap System Pro. Student t-tests were conducted to compare jump heights before and after stretching for both protocols. Result: After both stretching protocols, there were no significant differences observed in EF and JR performances among the volleyball players. The t-tests conducted for EF and JR indicated no significant changes following either Protocol 1 or Protocol 2. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that the PNF stretching routines employed did not significantly affect the EF and JR performances of male volleyball players. These findings highlight the need for further research to better understand the effects of PNF stretching on athletic performance and to explore alternative stretching methods that may yield different outcomes.