Effect of body position and type of stretching on hamstring flexibility

Stretching exercise protocols, as part of outpatient treatment or home exercise programs, are used to improve muscle flexibility. So, the aim of the study was to examine the body position effect (standing and supine) and dynamic range of motion (DROM) stretching technique on hamstring flexibility.

Seventy five subjects with decreased flexibility of hamstring (defined as ≥30° loss of active knee extension, from 90°hip flexion position), participants were randomly assigned to one of three equal groups. The first group performed static stretch from standing for 30 sec. The second group performed static stretch from supine for 30 sec. The third group performed DROM stretch. The stretching procedure conducted three times per week for four weeks.

There was a significant increase in the knee extension range of motion for standing, supine and DROM stretch (p < 0.05). Stretch from standing and supine was significantly higher than DROM stretching (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in hamstring flexibility between standing and supine stretch (p > 0.05).

Both standing and supine stretches displayed improvement in the hamstring flexibility, and both of them produced higher improvement than DROM stretch during hamstring flexibility training