32. Effect of Acute Static Stretching Prior to Resistance Training on Amount of Weight Lifted

Abstract

Within the kinesiology community, the notion that static stretching can negatively impact resistance training when performed before exercise is widely accepted. This is taught in undergraduate classrooms and applied by many coaches, personal trainers, therapists, as well as other professionals within the industry. While the science behind this notion is reasonable, it is necessary for clinicians to see what the data is saying. This poster presentation will be examining this notion to answer the clinical question: Does static stretching decrease the amount of weight lifted in active college students who lift weights? The inclusion criteria included studies that were about active college students, ages 18-26, studies that were level 1b or higher on the CEBM Level of Evidence Hierarchy, and studies published in the last 15 years. PubMed was used as the data base. Based off the inclusion criteria, three articles were located. All three articles were randomized control trials. These articles show no statistically significant difference when comparing static stretching prior to resistance training as compared to no static stretching when measuring a one repetition maximum, or total volume lifted for both bench press and back squat. More research will need to be done to show if static stretching is more effective when compared with other warm-up techniques, but this data insinuates it does not hinder performance when performed before resistance training.