EFFECTS OF A SHORT PROPRIOCEPTIVE
NEUROMUSCULAR FACILITATION STRETCHING BOUT ON
QUADRICEPS NEUROMUSCULAR FUNCTION,
FLEXIBILITY, AND VERTICAL JUMP PERFORMANCE
NICOLAS PLACE,1 YANNICK BLUM,1 STÉPHANE ARMAND,2 NICOLA A. MAFFIULETTI,3
DAVID G. BEHM4
1
Institute of Movement Sciences and Sport Medicine, Medicine Faculty, Geneva University, Geneva, Switzerland; 2Willy
Taillard Laboratory of Kinesiology, Geneva University Hospital and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland;
3
Neuromuscular Research Laboratory, Schulthess Clinic, Zurich, Switzerland; and 4School of Human Kinetics and Recreation,
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Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John’s, Canada
ABSTRACT
Place, N, Blum, Y, Armand, S, Maffiuletti, NA, and Behm, DG.
Effects of a short proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation
stretching bout on quadriceps neuromuscular function, flexibil-
ity, and vertical jump performance. J Strength Cond Res 27(2):
463–470, 2013—The inclusion of relatively long bouts of
stretching (repeated static stretches of ;30 seconds) in the
warm-up is usually associated with a drop in muscle perfor-
mance. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of
a novel self-administered proprioceptive neuromuscular facili-
tation (PNF) paradigm with short periods of stretching and
contraction on quadriceps neuromuscular function, vertical
jump performance, and articular range of motion (ROM).
Twelve healthy men (age: 27.7 6 7.3 years, height: 178.4 6
10.4 cm, weight: 73.8 6 16.9 kg) volunteered to participate in
a PNF session and a control session separated by 2–7 days.
The PNF stretching lasted 2 minutes and consisted of 4 sets of
5-second isometric hamstring contraction immediately fol-
lowed by 5 seconds of passive static stretch of the quadriceps
immediately followed by 5 seconds isometric quadriceps con-
traction for each leg. For the control session, the participants
were asked to walk at a comfortable speed for 2 minutes.
Active ROM of knee flexion, vertical jump performance, and
quadriceps neuromuscular function were tested before, imme-
diately after, and 15 minutes after the intervention. The PNF
stretching procedure did not affect ROM, squat jump, and
countermovement jump performances. Accordingly, we did
not observe any change in maximal voluntary contraction
force, voluntary activation level, M-wave and twitch contractile
Address correspondence to Nicolas Place, nicolas.place@unige.ch.
27(2)/463–470
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
Ó 2013 National Strength and Conditioning Association
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AND
properties that could be attributed to PNF stretching. The pres-
ent self-administered PNF stretching of the quadriceps with
short (5-second) stretches is not recommended before sports
where flexibility is mandatory for performance.
KEY WORDS PNF, twitch, voluntary activation level, range of
motion, squat jump
INTRODUCTION
F
lexibility is an important physical quality in a num-
ber of sports such as gymnastics, figure skating, syn-
chronized swimming, ice hockey (goalie), some
martial art postures, dance, and other activities
(16). Nevertheless, the potential benefits of good flexibility
on sport performance are still under debate. Despite an
improvement in articular range of motion (ROM) induced
by stretching, reduced muscle force generating capacity, and
sport-related performance are common findings (for a review
see [3,28]). The large majority of previous studies have used
relatively long periods of static stretching (generally .90 sec-
onds, e.g., 3 3 30 seconds), which have been shown to acutely
impair static (1,12–14,24) and dynamic (18) muscle strength,
vertical jump (4,15,30), and sprint performance (22). Neu-
ral (2,9,11,13,14,24) and contractile-mechanical (8,11,13,14)
impairments have been evoked to explain the reduction in
muscle performance induced by passive stretching.
An alternative to pure static stretching is the combination
of stretching with isometric contractions of the agonist and
antagonist muscles, that is, the so-called proprioceptive
neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). Compared with conven-
tional stretching, PNF-induced gains in ROM have been
proposed to be partially because of Golgi tendon organ-
mediated autogenic inhibition (because of prior contraction
of the muscle of interest) and Ia-inhibitory interneurons-
mediated reciprocal inhibition (because of prior contraction
of the antagonist muscle) (for a review see [26]). Similar to
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 Short PNF Stretching and Quadriceps Muscle Function

pure static stretching, PNF with relatively long stretching testing sessions. The first session (;45 minutes) was used for
bouts (bout usually $30 seconds, with several repetitions and participant familiarization with the testing procedures (PNF
stretching exercises for a total stretching duration of several stretching, vertical jump techniques, voluntary and electrically
minutes) has been shown to acutely impair dynamic strength evoked contractions). The 2 experimental sessions consisted
of quadriceps muscle (20) and vertical jump performance when of testing quadriceps neuromuscular function, flexibility, and
quadriceps, hamstrings, and plantar flexors were stretched (5). vertical jump performance after a quadriceps PNF stretching
Results seem to differ when PNF uses stretches of short dura- or a walking period of similar duration (control condition).
tion; indeed, as opposed to earlier studies using several bouts of The following outcomes were considered as the dependent
static stretching $30 seconds, Murphy et al. (21) demonstrated variables: active ROM of knee flexion and hip extension,
that short-duration static stretches of 6 seconds (6 repetitions) maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force of quadriceps
increased hamstrings ROM, countermovement jump (CMJ) and hamstring muscles, quadriceps voluntary activation level,
height, static balance, and movement time. Because short- EMG activity of quadriceps and hamstring muscles, M-wave
duration static stretching is less likely to cause functional amplitude and peak twitch of the quadriceps, CMJ, and drop
impairments than longer stretching bouts and could even result jump (DJ) performance. The 2 experimental sessions (dura-
in functional improvements (21), we hypothesize that the tion ;90 minutes) were separated by 2–7 days. Figure 1 gives
reduced stretching time would not reduce quadriceps force a schematic representation of the experimental protocol.
generating capacity and jump height together with an increase The right and left knee extensors were given a sequence of
in ROM. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine movements which are based on PNF schemes, and consisted
the acute effect of quadriceps
PNF stretching with short
(5-second) periods of stretching
and contraction on neuromus-
cular function, vertical jump
performance, and ROM. Fur-
thermore, to determine the
mechanisms underlying the
eventual changes in perfor-
mance (jump height and
ROM), neuromuscular function
was investigated with noninva-
sive techniques based on volun-
tary and evoked contractions
combined with surface electro-
myography (EMG). The unique
aspect of this short PNF para-
digm is that subjects could
perform the PNF stretching
without the assistance of a part-
ner and thus could be time sav-
ing and costless for warming up
before training and competition.
Because athletes may have a lim-
ited time period to warm-up
(e.g., in the case of substitution
in team sports), this study will
provide information about the
potential usefulness of short-
duration PNF stretching before
exercise.

METHODS
Experimental Approach to
Figure 1. Schematic representation of the protocol. ROM = range of motion; MVC = maximal voluntary
the Problem contraction; MVC ITT = maximal voluntary contraction with the interpolated twitch technique; CMJ =
This randomized controlled countermovement jump; DJ = drop jump.
crossover study consisted of 3
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464 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research

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of: a 5-second isometric hamstring contraction (antagonist)
immediately followed by 5 seconds of passive static stretch
of the quadriceps immediately followed by a 5-second
isometric quadriceps contraction (agonist). The antagonist
contraction was performed to facilitate the quadriceps
stretching and the sequence was terminated with a quadri-
ceps contraction to potentiate the muscle, with the expec-
tation that this procedure would not induce any decrement
in jump height. Passive static stretch of the quadriceps was
performed as follows: while the subject was standing on one
leg (fully extended), the leg to be stretched was flexed at the
knee and the subject pushed the ankle back toward the
buttocks until the level of discomfort for 5 seconds. Hamstring
and quadriceps contractions were performed while the subject
was standing on one leg, contracting muscles of the other leg
while pushing against a wall with the heel (for the hamstring)
or the toes (for the quadriceps) reaching the level of
discomfort (vigorous contraction). The subjects were asked
to keep both legs extended during these contractions. After
each 15-second PNF stretching bout, the subjects were
instructed to stretch the other leg, and the procedure was
repeated four times for each leg. Hence, for this modified PNF
procedure, each leg was stretched for a total duration of only
20 seconds with 20-second contractions of the agonist and
antagonist respectively. An illustration of the PNF procedure
is provided in Figure 2. The intervention during the control
session consisted in a 2-minute walking period at a self-
selected comfortable speed.
Subjects
Twelve healthy men (age: 27.7 6 7.3 years, height: 178.4 6
10.4 cm, weight: 73.8 6 16.9 kg) volunteered to participate
to this randomized crossover study. All the subjects were
physically active (i.e., at least 2 hours of physical activity
Figure 2. Pictures of the procedure used for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) intervention. (A) Hamstring (antagonist) contraction followed by
(B) passive static stretch of the quadriceps followed by (C) quadriceps (agonist) contraction. Each step was sustained for 5 seconds once the level of
discomfort was reached.
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per week). They were verbally informed of the procedures
and read and signed an informed consent form before par-
ticipation. The protocol of the study was approved by the
Ethics Committee of the University Hospital of Geneva
(protocol 10-051). All the procedures were conducted
according to the Declaration of Helsinki. All the subjects
received standard testing instructions (nutrition, hydration,
sleep) verbally and written and were asked not to take part in
any demanding physical activity for 24 hours before each
testing session.
Procedures
Warm-Up. The participants performed a 5-minute sub-
maximal warm-up on a cycle ergometer (Fleisch, Metabo,
Epalinges, Switzerland). They were instructed to cycle
at 70 rpm and to maintain a power output of approxi-
mately 1 W$kg21
Pretest and Posttest. Except for vertical jumps where both legs
were used, all the tests were performed on the right
(dominant) leg. Pretest and posttest, which were performed
before, immediately after, and 15 minutes after the
intervention, consisted in the assessment of (a) active
ROM, (b) neuromuscular function, and (c) vertical jump
performance (Figure 1).
Data Collection
Active Range of Motion. For knee flexion active ROM
measurement, the subject laid prone and actively flexed the
leg as far as possible without assistance from the investigator
(20). Knee flexion angle was recorded at a sampling fre-
quency of 1 kHz with an electronic goniometer (SG150,
Biometrics, Cwmfelinfach, United Kingdom) connected to
an acquisition system (MP150; Biopac, Goleta, CA, USA).
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 Short PNF Stretching and Quadriceps Muscle Function
The goniometer was positioned on the lateral aspect of the
right knee as already described (20). Briefly, the proximal
arm was taped along the femur using the greater trochanter
as a reference, and the distal arm was aligned with the shank
using the lateral malleolus as a reference. Hip extension
active ROM was also investigated because the biarticular
rectus femoris (RF) is both a knee extensor and a hip flexor
muscle. For hip extension ROM assessment, the subjects
were lying prone on a table. With their anterior superior iliac
spine in contact with the table, they attempted to lift their
leg as far as possible off the table. The vertical distance from
the table to the anterior aspect of the patella was measured
using a tape measure (24). Two trials of each stretch were
performed at both pretest and posttest.
Evoked Contractions. Electrically evoked contractions of the
quadriceps were induced with a high-voltage (maximal voltage
400 V) constant-current stimulator (model DS7AH, Digitimer,
Hertfordshire, United Kingdom). The femoral nerve was
stimulated transcutaneously using a circular (diameter: 5.1
cm) self-adhesive electrode (Dermatrode; American Imex,
Irvine, CA, USA) positioned in the femoral triangle, 3–5 cm
below the inguinal ligament. A large (5 3 10 cm) rectangular
electrode (Compex, Ecublens, Switzerland) was fixed over the
gluteal fold to close the stimulation current loop. Current
intensity was progressively increased from 0 mA to full motor
unit recruitment, as verified by M-wave and twitch force
recordings, and this was further increased by 10% to provide
supramaximal stimuli. Once this stimulation intensity was
found, it was kept constant throughout the session for each
subject. The site of stimulation was marked on the skin so that
it could be repeated between the sessions. The stimulus dura-
tion was 1 millisecond, and the interstimulus interval in the
doublet was 10 milliseconds.
Force Recordings. Isometric MVC and electrically evoked
force of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles were
recorded using a custom-built ergometer that comprised
a chair connected to a strain gauge (STS 2,500 N, sensitivity
2 mV$V21 and 0.0017 V$N21, SWJ, Shenzhen, China). The
subjects were comfortably seated with a knee angle of 908
and a trunk-thigh angle of 1008 (1808 = full extension). The
strain gauge was securely strapped between the ankle and
the chair. Extraneous movements of the upper body were
limited by 2 crossover shoulder harnesses and a belt across
the abdomen. Two quadriceps MVC and 2 hamstring MVC
were performed at pretest; if the difference in MVC force
between the 2 trials was .5%, a third attempt was requested.
Only 1 MVC per muscle group was performed at posttest
to minimize fatigue.
Electromyography Recordings. The EMG activity of the knee
extensors vastus lateralis (VL), vastus medialis (VM), and RF
and that of the knee flexor biceps femoris (BF) were
recorded with pairs of silver chloride circular surface
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466 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
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electrodes (Kendall Meditrace 100, Tyco, Canada), with
a recording diameter of 1 cm. Electrodes were positioned
lengthwise over the middle of the muscle belly with an
interelectrode (center-to-center) distance of 2 cm. The
electrodes were placed at a distance of two-thirds between
the anterior spina iliaca superior and the lateral femoral
condyle for the VL, at four-fifths of the distance between the
anterior spina iliaca superior and the medial femoral condyle
for the VM, midway between the anterior spina iliaca
superior an upper border of the patella for the RF, and
midway between the ischial tuberosity and the lateral tibial
condyle for the BF (23). Electrode positions were marked to
ensure similar placement during the second experimental
session. The reference electrode was placed over the patella.
Low resistance between the 2 electrodes (,10 kV) was
obtained by abrading and cleaning the skin with alcohol.
The EMG signals were amplified with a bandwidth fre-
quency ranging from 10 to 500 Hz (gain: 1,000), digitized
online at a sampling frequency of 2 kHz, and recorded
(MP150; Biopac, Goleta, CA, USA).
Vertical Jump Performance. All the jumps were performed on
a force plate (9281B, Kistler, Winterthur, Switzerland)
connected to an amplifier (9865B, Kistler), and vertical
ground reaction force (Rz) data were recorded at a sampling
frequency of 1 kHz (MP150; Biopac, Goleta, CA, USA).
Jump height was measured for the CMJ and DJ. Two CMJ
and DJ were performed at pretest; if the difference in jump
height between the 2 trials was .5%, a third jump was
requested. Only 1 jump per modality was performed at post-
test to minimize fatigue. The interval between 2 consecutive
jumps was 10 seconds. For the CMJ, the subjects were
instructed to keep their hands on the hips. After a rapid knee
flexion to approximately 908, they left the force plate with
knees and ankles fully extended and were asked to land in
a similarly extended position to ensure valid test conditions.
For the DJ, the subjects started from a 30-cm-high step (24)
and were instructed to keep their hands on the hips and step
off the platform with the leading leg straight to avoid any
initial upward propulsion (thus ensuring a drop height of
30 cm). They were instructed to jump for maximal height
and minimum ground contact time. As for CMJ, the partic-
ipants were instructed to leave the force plate with knees and
ankles fully extended and to land in a similarly extended
position. Vertical jumps were performed to assess the influ-
ence of PNF stretching on slow (CMJ) and fast (DJ) stretch-
shortening cycle.
Data Analysis
Active Range of Motion. For pretest and posttest, only the best
attempt for knee flexion and hip extension active ROMs was
considered for further analysis.
Vertical Jump Performance. Vertical jump height was calculated
as h = g 3 flight time2/8. For each pretest and posttest, the
jump achieving the greatest height was used for analysis (4).
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level (%) = [1 2 (superimposed doublet amplitude 3 volun-

tary force level just before the superimposed doublet/MVC
force)/potentiated doublet amplitude] 3 100 (29). Peak
twitch was calculated from the average of 3 trials and peak
doublet was analyzed to calculate voluntary activation level.

Electromyography Activity. The M-wave peak-to-peak ampli-

Figure 3. Active ROM for (A) knee flexion and (B) hip extension. Values
(mean 6 SEM, N = 12) were collected before (Pre), immediately after
(Post), and 15 minutes after 2 minutes of PNF stretching or walking
(control). KE = knee extensors; PNF = proprioceptive neuromuscular
facilitation; ROM = range of motion; 08 = leg fully extended.
Force Recordings. The MVC force was considered as the peak
force attained during the contraction, and voluntary activa-
tion level (interpolated twitch technique) was estimated
according to the following formula: voluntary activation
tude was analyzed for VL, VM, and RF muscles with the
average of the 3 trials being used for analysis. The EMG
activity was quantified as the root mean square estimate for
a 500-millisecond interval around MVC force (250-millisec-
ond interval either side of the peak force). Knee extensors
EMG activity measured during MVC was averaged for VL,
VM, and RF muscles. The EMG activity of BF muscle was
determined from hamstring MVC, and the level of coac-
tivation was calculated as the EMG value recorded from BF
during quadriceps MVC divided by the corresponding EMG
value recorded during hamstring MVC (i.e., when BF acted
as an agonist) and then expressed as a percentage.
Statistical Analysis
For the dependent variables used in this study, intraclass
correlation coefficients were .0.80. Data were analyzed
with separate 2-way (treatment 3 time) analyses of variance
with repeated measures. Post hoc analyses (Tukey) were
used to test for differences among pairs of means when
appropriate. A significance level of p # 0.05 was used to
identify statistical significance. The statistical analyses were
performed using Sigmaplot software (version 11.0, Systat,
Chicago, IL, USA). Data are presented as mean 6 SD within
text and table and as mean 6 SEM within figures.
RESULTS
Active Range of Motion
Knee flexion (p = 0.23) and hip extension active ROM
(p = 0.66) were not modified after PNF stretching or control
condition (Figure 3).

TABLE 1. Neuromuscular properties of the knee extensor muscles.*†

PNF Control

Pre Post Post 15 min Pre Post Post 15 min

MVC (N)z 420.5 6 79.7 394.3 6 63.1 394.6 6 66.4 431.8 6 73.8 411.1 6 78.7 402.2 6 83.6
VAL (%) 88.4 6 7.2 89.2 6 5.1 87.1 6 8.9 85.4 6 8.1 86.6 6 8.0 86.9 6 8.1
Pt (N)§ 65.8 6 9.7 68.0 6 11.6 60.9 6 7.9 68.5 6 12.6 69.5 6 9.9 65.2 6 8.3
VL PPA (mV) 12.8 6 6.0 13.2 6 6.5 12.6 6 5.2 14.7 6 4.3 15.4 6 4.3 14.5 6 4.5
VM PPA (mV) 15.2 6 4.5 16.4 6 4.8 13.8 6 4.4 14.9 6 3.44 14.9 6 3.7 14.7 6 3.2
RF PPA (mV) 5.4 6 2.4 5.4 6 2.5 6.1 6 4.1 5.8 6 1.9 5.7 6 2.3 5.9 6 2.1

*MVC = maximal voluntary contraction force; VAL = voluntary activation level; Pt = peak twitch; VL = vastus lateralis; PPA = M-
wave peak-to-peak amplitude; VM = vastus medialis; RF = rectus femoris.
†Values (mean 6 SD, N = 12) were collected before (Pre), immediately after (Post) and 15 minutes after 2 minutes of PNF
stretching or walking (control).
zSignificant main time effect (Post and Post 15 minutes different from Pre, p , 0.01).
§Significant main time effect (Post 15 min different from Pre and Post, p , 0.01).

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 Short PNF Stretching and Quadriceps Muscle Function
Neuromuscular Function
Quadriceps MVC force was similar before the PNF and
control sessions (p = 0.42). Table 1 shows that quadriceps
MVC force was slightly though significantly depressed after
both PNF stretching and the control walking period (;5%,
p = 0.004), but no difference was found between the two
conditions. Quadriceps voluntary activation level was not
affected by PNF and control (p = 0.47), and no difference
was noted between the 2 sessions (p = 0.68, Table 1).
Knee extensors EMG activity did not change during the
course of both experimental sessions; the normalized EMG
activity varied from 100 6 0 to 94 6 19% after PNF stretch-
ing and to 99 6 13% after the control condition (p = 0.47). A
significant reduction in BF coactivation level was found after
PNF stretching (from 10.1 6 3.8 to 7.5 6 3.6%, p = 0.043),
and also 15 minutes after PNF stretching (7.4 6 4.5%,
p = 0.035). No significant changes were noted after the
2-minute walking period (from 8.0 6 3.6 to 8.6 6 3.3%,
p = 0.85). Hamstring MVC force (from 195 6 30 to 194 6
40 N for the PNF session and from 195 6 42 to 189 6 44N
for the control session) and EMG of BF muscle remained
unchanged after both experimental sessions (p = 0.55 and
p = 0.83, respectively). Peak twitch was not different
Figure 4. Vertical jump performance for (A) countermovement jump
(CMJ) and (B) drop jump (DJ). Values (mean 6 SEM, N = 12) were
collected before (Pre), immediately after (Post) and 15 minutes after
2 minutes of proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching
or walking (control).
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468 Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
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between the two experimental sessions (p = 0.23), and it
decreased similarly (;5%) 15 min after PNF stretching
and the control walking period (p = 0.001, Table 1). M-wave
amplitude for VL (p = 0.79), VM (p = 0.45), and RF
(p = 0.61) muscles was unmodified after the 2 experimental
sessions and did not differ between the conditions (Table 1).
Vertical Jump Performance
Vertical jump performance for both CMJ (p = 0.40) and DJ
(p = 0.35) was not influenced by PNF stretching and
remained also unchanged after the control walking period
(Figure 4).
DISCUSSION
The aim of this study was to assess the influence of self-
administered PNF stretching including short contraction
and stretching phases on active ROM, neuromuscular
function, and jump performance. Our results showed no
change in knee flexion and hip extension active ROM and
jumping performance after PNF stretching. Accordingly,
most neuromuscular adjustments were comparable between
the PNF and the control sessions.
The PNF stretching of the quadriceps muscle consisting
of several minutes of passive stretching has been shown to
acutely improve ROM (e.g., [20]). This increased flexibility
was originally explained by neuromuscular facilitation, first
evidenced by Sherrington (27), that is, by the effects of
autogenic inhibition provided by a prior contraction of the
quadriceps and reciprocal inhibition provided by a prior con-
traction of the hamstrings. Other factors have since been
proposed to explain the stretching-induced increase in
ROM, such as mechanical changes within the muscle-
tendon unit (8,12,13) and altered perception resulting in an
increased tolerance to the stretch (7,19,26). Our finding of an
unchanged active ROM after PNF stretching may be caused
either by the short duration of the total (20 seconds per leg)
or single stretching sequences (5 seconds). The 5-second
passive static stretching is close to the 3 seconds recommen-
ded in a recent review (26). However, Murphy et al. (21)
recently showed that 6 repetitions of 6-second static
stretches of the hamstrings were sufficient to increase
ROM by about 12%, which suggests that not all muscles
behave in the same manner and the quadriceps may need
longer stretching durations to achieve increases in ROM. But
there may also be methodological difficulties. Behm and
Kibele (4) reported no significant changes in hip extension
ROM with 4 repetitions of 30 seconds of static stretching.
They suggested that measuring hip extension ROM can be
more difficult than other commonly measured joints such as
with supine hip flexion. According to Hubley-Kozey (17),
there is considerable difficulty in locating the true joint cen-
ter with this method and aligning the limbs. Similarly, it is
important but also difficult to maintain contact of the hip
with the mat when performing a hip extension ROM test (6).
Similar difficulties may have increased the variability of these

measurements in this study. Moreover, the stretching pro-
cedure used here was unique compared with previous PNF
studies. In contrast to the classical partner-assisted PNF
stretching, the agonist and antagonist contractions used in
this study (Figure 2) were performed by the subjects them-
selves (as is often the case in sports activities) while the
quadriceps was not at the end point of the ROM. Finally,
it may also be that ROM was transiently changed for a very
short period (,1 minute) with this PNF scheme; even if that
was the case, the athlete would not take advantage of this
procedure during competition, as already suggested (25).
Our results of similar MVC force and jump performance
after both PNF and control sessions are in accordance with
our active ROM measurements. Indeed, it is unlikely that
unchanged ROM (which can be explained by unaltered
proprioceptive information and/or musculotendinous visco-
elastic properties and/or stretch perception) induced a sig-
nificant alteration in force-power generating capacity. Again,
the low stretching duration might explain the absence of
MVC reduction as compared with the control session,
because the reduction in MVC force after passive stretching
has been suggested to be governed by a dose-response
relationship (25). Our results confirm those of Young and
Elliott (31), who reported no change in vertical jump per-
formance after a relatively short PNF stretching procedure
on quadriceps, gluteus, and plantar flexors (including 15-sec-
ond static stretching bouts for a total stretching duration of
45 seconds for each muscle group). Furthermore, the un-
changed quadriceps voluntary activation and EMG activity
indicate that neural drive was preserved after our PNF pro-
cedure. In earlier studies, impaired neural drive has been
hypothesized as a cause of poststretch force decrements
(2,13,14,24). It is also interesting to note that the reduced
antagonist muscle coactivation induced by PNF stretching
did not affect quadriceps MVC force nor jumping perfor-
mance, suggesting that a small change in coactivation has
a negligible impact on maximal voluntary efforts.
In this study, we used electrically induced contractions to
gain insights into the peripheral component of neuromus-
cular function after PNF stretching. The results clearly
indicate that muscle excitability was preserved, as reflected
by M-wave characteristics of the knee extensor muscles; this
finding was also reported after longer stretching duration on
the plantar flexors (8). In addition, the unchanged peak
twitch in our study indicates that the final steps of excita-
tion-contraction coupling (involving Ca2+) were not affected
by the PNF procedure. This is in line with the preserved
jump and MVC performances and confirms the findings
obtained in previous studies in which longer stretching
durations were used, for both plantar flexor (4) and knee
extensor (24) muscles. As our subjects were in a complete
resting state for approximately 6–7 minutes from the end of
the posttests to the start of the post 15-minute tests, the
reduced peak twitch amplitude found 15 minutes after both
PNF and control sessions may be attributed to a slight
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decrease in muscle temperature (10), although not mea-
sured in this study.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
Self-administered PNF stretching including 5-second static
stretches of the quadriceps did not improve active ROM of
knee flexion. Thus, although this PNF procedure did not
have any detrimental effect on quadriceps muscle function,
we do not recommend this stretching modality (5-second
isometric hamstring contraction immediately followed by 5
seconds of passive static stretch of the quadriceps immedi-
ately followed by 5-second isometric quadriceps contrac-
tion) for sports activities in which flexibility is a key factor.
Nevertheless, stretching is routinely used by many athletes as
an important component of warm-up procedures and,
although physiological benefits are contestable, it is certainly
psychologically beneficial.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank Marc Buclin for the design and concep-
tion of the ergometer and all the subjects who volunteered to
participate. This study was supported by De Reuter foun-
dation, Geneva Academic Society and Ernest Boninchi
foundation. The results of this study do not constitute
endorsement of the product by the authors or the National
Strength and Conditioning Association.
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