A2 Level PE - Flexibility

Adaptations to Flexibility Training

1. Increased elasticity/increased length of muscles and connective tissue. 2. Increased resting elasticity. 3. Greater range of movement at a joint. 4. Greater range of movement (ROM) before the stretch reflex is initiated/stretch reflex inhibited.

Benefits of Flexibility Training

1. The athlete can increase his/her distance, speed, efficiency, generate more force and stretch further. 2. Decreased risk of injury. 3. Improved posture and healthier joints. 4. Improved performance of motor skill/technique 5. Reduced resistance in antagonist.

Factors affecting flexibility

Age. Gender. Muscle elasticity. Connective tissue elasticity. Joint shape. Type of joint. Nerves. Hypermobility. Temperature. Muscle mass. Flexibility training.

Flexibility and Type of Joint

Ball and socket = full RoM. Pivot = rotation. Hinge = flex /ext

Dynamic flexibility training

Controlled version of ballistic stretching. Controlled movement through joint's RoM. Active or passive. More specific to sports. Good level of flexilibilty needed. EG calf raises/lunges/squats/open the gate etc. Improves dynamic flexibility.

PNF flexibility training

During PNF a muscle group is passively stretched. Then the muscle contracts isometrically against resistance while in the stretched position. Then passively stretched again through the resulting increased RoM. PNF uses a partner to provide resistance against the isometric contraction and then to passively take the joint through its increased RoM.

Flexibility and Muscle mass

Excess muscle mass around a joint restricts joint RoM.

Ballistic flexibility training

Fast/Swinging/Bouncing movements. Forced joint to move through RoM. Least effective method. Too quick for tissue to adapt to length. Risk of injury. Should only be performed by those with good flexibility.

Flexibility and Age

Flexibility decreases with age due to the loss of elasticity

Flexibility and Gender

Generally females more flexible than males.

Flexibility and Nerves

Nerves pass through the joints. Nerves can become stretched or compressed through movement. This triggers the stretch reflex within the muscle.

Flexibility tests / measurements

Sit and Reach - Hamstring - lower back and hip flexibility. Goniometry - Uses a double armed angled ruler to measure the number of degrees from a neutral starting position.

Static flexibility training

Static (unassisted) and passive (assisted with partner/apparatus). Muscle stretched just past the point of resistance. Increases RoM at a joint. Safe method. Successful in increasing RoM. Not specific to sporting situations which are completed at speed.

Types of flexibility training

Static / Ballistic / Dynamic / PNF.

Maintenance stretching

Stretching as part of a warm up and cool down. It helps to maintain an individual's RoM but does not increase it.

Flexibility and Flexibility Training

Stretching within a training programme may maintain / increase RoM.

Flexibility and Connective Tissue Elasticity

Tendons, ligaments, joint capsule all limit RoM.

Flexibility and Muscle Elasticity

The further the muscle can stretch before it initiates the stretch - reflex will increase flexibility.

Flexibility and Joint Shape

The joints articulating surfaces dictate RoM. Shallow shoulder cavity compared to deeper hip cavity results in greater RoM at shoulder.

Flexibility

The range of motion (RoM) around a joint or a series of joints.

Dynamic flexibility

The range of motion (RoM) taking into account the speed of movement and reflecting the joint's resistance to movement. EG Straddle Jump

Static flexibility

The range of motion (RoM) without taking into account the speed of movement. EG Hamstring Stretch

Flexibility and Temperature

The warmer the athlete the more elasticity in muscles and connective tissues.

Flexibility and Hypermobility

This can be inherited or trained increasing the RoM but also joint instability and injury (double jointed).

Theory behind PNF stretching

When a muscle is fully stretched (eccentric) it triggers the stretch reflex mechanism. This is when stretch receptors in the muscle detect the muscle has stretched and will cause it to contract. This mechanism is what we used in plyometric strength training. In PNF training we inhibit this reflex. The passive stretch, stretches the muscle. The isometric contraction causes fatigue in the muscle fibres and inhibits the muscle's ability to contract. The next passive stretch will stretch the muscle further as the stretch reflex is inhibited and no contraction can take place.

Developmental stretching

Whole or part training sessions (a minimum of 10-15 minutes) devoted solely to stretching. Increases an individual's RoM.