{"id":{"repo_id":"auckland-tech","oai_identifier":"oai:openrepository.aut.ac.nz:10292/5292"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/auckland-tech/oai:openrepository.aut.ac.nz:10292/5292","repository":{"repo_id":"auckland-tech","name":"AUT University","base_url":"https://openrepository.aut.ac.nz/server/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"The Frequency of Hamstring Stretches Required to Maintain Knee Extension Range of Motion Following an Initial Six-Week Stretching Programme","abstract":"Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of on-going hamstring stretching required to maintain knee extension ROM following an initial stretching programme. Study Design: A test-retest randomised control trial with repeated measures was undertaken with 63 university-aged males as participants. Background: Stretching exercises are commonly prescribed during warm-up and cool-down, and within training and rehabilitation programmes with a common aim to improve muscle extensibility and joint range of motion. Previous research has demonstrated that stretching the hamstring muscle group once a day, five days a week for a six-week period improves knee extension range of motion. However, it has been demonstrated that this improvement is short-lived and starts to reduce once the stretching intervention is ceased. To maintain the improvement in range of motion gained following an initial stretching programme, an on-going stretching programme may be required. There is, however, little research to demonstrate the optimal frequency of on-going stretching required to maintain the range of motion once the initial improvements have been achieved. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and a control group. The two intervention groups both stretched for 30 seconds three times, once per day, five days a week, for an initial six weeks. The intervention was an active knee extension static hamstring stretch in a supine position. After the six-week initial stretching programme, participants allocated to intervention group one continued stretching with the same stretching routine once a day, three days per week, and participants in intervention group two once a day, for one day per week, for a further six weeks. Participants in the control group did not stretch over the 12-week intervention period. Knee extension range of movement was assessed by an active knee extension test using an electronic goniometer at baseline, week six and week 12. Results: Following the initial six-week stretching programme there was a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in knee extension range of motion (mean- 16.2 degrees) in both intervention groups. Over the further six-week on-going stretching programme those participants in intervention group one (stretched three days a week) maintained their improvement in range of motion, whereas those in intervention group two (stretched one day per week) did not. The difference between the groups was significant (p < 0.05). No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in knee extension range of motion in the control group. Conclusion: The findings of this study were consistent with previous research that has demonstrated a six-week static hamstring stretching programme significantly improves the knee extension range of motion. The on-going hamstring stretching programme with the frequency of three times a week was required to maintain the initial improvement in knee extension ROM for 6 weeks. This finding may be useful to maintain the benefits of stretching exercises with minimal effort, and therefore potentially improve compliance with on-going stretching exercises.","abstract_html":"Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of on-going hamstring stretching required to maintain knee extension ROM following an initial stretching programme. Study Design: A test-retest randomised control trial with repeated measures was undertaken with 63 university-aged males as participants. Background: Stretching exercises are commonly prescribed during warm-up and cool-down, and within training and rehabilitation programmes with a common aim to improve muscle extensibility and joint range of motion. Previous research has demonstrated that stretching the hamstring muscle group once a day, five days a week for a six-week period improves knee extension range of motion. However, it has been demonstrated that this improvement is short-lived and starts to reduce once the stretching intervention is ceased. To maintain the improvement in range of motion gained following an initial stretching programme, an on-going stretching programme may be required. There is, however, little research to demonstrate the optimal frequency of on-going stretching required to maintain the range of motion once the initial improvements have been achieved. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and a control group. The two intervention groups both stretched for 30 seconds three times, once per day, five days a week, for an initial six weeks. The intervention was an active knee extension static hamstring stretch in a supine position. After the six-week initial stretching programme, participants allocated to intervention group one continued stretching with the same stretching routine once a day, three days per week, and participants in intervention group two once a day, for one day per week, for a further six weeks. Participants in the control group did not stretch over the 12-week intervention period. Knee extension range of movement was assessed by an active knee extension test using an electronic goniometer at baseline, week six and week 12. Results: Following the initial six-week stretching programme there was a significant (p &lt; 0.05) improvement in knee extension range of motion (mean- 16.2 degrees) in both intervention groups. Over the further six-week on-going stretching programme those participants in intervention group one (stretched three days a week) maintained their improvement in range of motion, whereas those in intervention group two (stretched one day per week) did not. The difference between the groups was significant (p &lt; 0.05). No significant difference (p &gt; 0.05) was observed in knee extension range of motion in the control group. Conclusion: The findings of this study were consistent with previous research that has demonstrated a six-week static hamstring stretching programme significantly improves the knee extension range of motion. The on-going hamstring stretching programme with the frequency of three times a week was required to maintain the initial improvement in knee extension ROM for 6 weeks. This finding may be useful to maintain the benefits of stretching exercises with minimal effort, and therefore potentially improve compliance with on-going stretching exercises.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Kim, Joshua"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:45:59Z","subjects":["On-going stretching","Extensibility","Compliance"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:10292/5292"],"render_values":[{"text":"hdl:10292/5292","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":null,"outbound_label":null,"outbound_source":null},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2012"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["On-going stretching","Extensibility","Compliance"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["hdl:10292/5292"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.other","label":"Dc Description Other","values":["Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of on-going hamstring stretching required to maintain knee extension ROM following an initial stretching programme. Study Design: A test-retest randomised control trial with repeated measures was undertaken with 63 university-aged males as participants. Background: Stretching exercises are commonly prescribed during warm-up and cool-down, and within training and rehabilitation programmes with a common aim to improve muscle extensibility and joint range of motion. Previous research has demonstrated that stretching the hamstring muscle group once a day, five days a week for a six-week period improves knee extension range of motion. However, it has been demonstrated that this improvement is short-lived and starts to reduce once the stretching intervention is ceased. To maintain the improvement in range of motion gained following an initial stretching programme, an on-going stretching programme may be required. There is, however, little research to demonstrate the optimal frequency of on-going stretching required to maintain the range of motion once the initial improvements have been achieved. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and a control group. The two intervention groups both stretched for 30 seconds three times, once per day, five days a week, for an initial six weeks. The intervention was an active knee extension static hamstring stretch in a supine position. After the six-week initial stretching programme, participants allocated to intervention group one continued stretching with the same stretching routine once a day, three days per week, and participants in intervention group two once a day, for one day per week, for a further six weeks. Participants in the control group did not stretch over the 12-week intervention period. Knee extension range of movement was assessed by an active knee extension test using an electronic goniometer at baseline, week six and week 12. Results: Following the initial six-week stretching programme there was a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in knee extension range of motion (mean- 16.2 degrees) in both intervention groups. Over the further six-week on-going stretching programme those participants in intervention group one (stretched three days a week) maintained their improvement in range of motion, whereas those in intervention group two (stretched one day per week) did not. The difference between the groups was significant (p < 0.05). No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in knee extension range of motion in the control group. Conclusion: The findings of this study were consistent with previous research that has demonstrated a six-week static hamstring stretching programme significantly improves the knee extension range of motion. The on-going hamstring stretching programme with the frequency of three times a week was required to maintain the initial improvement in knee extension ROM for 6 weeks. This finding may be useful to maintain the benefits of stretching exercises with minimal effort, and therefore potentially improve compliance with on-going stretching exercises."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["The Frequency of Hamstring Stretches Required to Maintain Knee Extension Range of Motion Following an Initial Six-Week Stretching Programme"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:date.issued":["2012"],"dc:description.other":["Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of on-going hamstring stretching required to maintain knee extension ROM following an initial stretching programme. Study Design: A test-retest randomised control trial with repeated measures was undertaken with 63 university-aged males as participants. Background: Stretching exercises are commonly prescribed during warm-up and cool-down, and within training and rehabilitation programmes with a common aim to improve muscle extensibility and joint range of motion. Previous research has demonstrated that stretching the hamstring muscle group once a day, five days a week for a six-week period improves knee extension range of motion. However, it has been demonstrated that this improvement is short-lived and starts to reduce once the stretching intervention is ceased. To maintain the improvement in range of motion gained following an initial stretching programme, an on-going stretching programme may be required. There is, however, little research to demonstrate the optimal frequency of on-going stretching required to maintain the range of motion once the initial improvements have been achieved. Method: Participants were randomly assigned to two intervention groups and a control group. The two intervention groups both stretched for 30 seconds three times, once per day, five days a week, for an initial six weeks. The intervention was an active knee extension static hamstring stretch in a supine position. After the six-week initial stretching programme, participants allocated to intervention group one continued stretching with the same stretching routine once a day, three days per week, and participants in intervention group two once a day, for one day per week, for a further six weeks. Participants in the control group did not stretch over the 12-week intervention period. Knee extension range of movement was assessed by an active knee extension test using an electronic goniometer at baseline, week six and week 12. Results: Following the initial six-week stretching programme there was a significant (p < 0.05) improvement in knee extension range of motion (mean- 16.2 degrees) in both intervention groups. Over the further six-week on-going stretching programme those participants in intervention group one (stretched three days a week) maintained their improvement in range of motion, whereas those in intervention group two (stretched one day per week) did not. The difference between the groups was significant (p < 0.05). No significant difference (p > 0.05) was observed in knee extension range of motion in the control group. Conclusion: The findings of this study were consistent with previous research that has demonstrated a six-week static hamstring stretching programme significantly improves the knee extension range of motion. The on-going hamstring stretching programme with the frequency of three times a week was required to maintain the initial improvement in knee extension ROM for 6 weeks. This finding may be useful to maintain the benefits of stretching exercises with minimal effort, and therefore potentially improve compliance with on-going stretching exercises."],"dc:identifier":["hdl:10292/5292"],"dc:subject":["On-going stretching","Extensibility","Compliance"],"dc:title":["The Frequency of Hamstring Stretches Required to Maintain Knee Extension Range of Motion Following an Initial Six-Week Stretching Programme"],"dc:type":["Thesis"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T18:45:59Z"}