Acute Ballistic Muscle Stretching Inhibits Maximal Strength Performance

In the December 1998 issue of Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, we presented data showing that acute static stretching of the hip, thigh, and calf muscles before the performance of a one-repetition maximum lift (lRM) resulted in a decreased IRM for both knee flexion and knee extension (Kokkonen, Nelson, & Cornwell, 1998). Since then, we have had the opportunity to engage in dialogue with many individuals who were interested in discussing the implications and mechanisms that accompanied our finding. The foremost question has dealt with the type of stretching activity used in the study. Because static stretching was used, many people asked if the negative impact of stretching was present following ballistic stretching. Unfortunately, we could not answer this question with any precision. In the Kokkonen et al. (1998) study, the issue of ballistic stretching had been avoided, because most exercise physiology textbooks recommend against doing ballistic stretching (see deVries & Housh, 1994; Foss & Keteyian, 1998; Plowman & Smith, 1997; Powers & Howley, 2001; Robergs & Roberts, 1997). The basis behind these recommendations is that ballistic stretching increases the chance of muscle injury, because the athlete is trying to lengthen the muscle while the myotatic reflex is contract-