The Individual and Combined Effects of PNF Stretching and Plyometric Training on Muscular Power and Flexibility for Volleyball Players

Abstract

The knowledge gained through this study could help to make plyometric training more effective when Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching added to the workouts without having to isolate strength and flexibility on separate sessions. The aim of this study was to compare the individual and combined effects of 6-week of PNF stretching and plyometric training (PLYOT) in muscular power and flexibility for young volleyball players Thirty-seven male young volleyball players participated in the current study. They were distributed into four groups; PNF (n = 10), PLYOT (n = 10), Combining PNF and PLYOT (COMB) (n = 10), and control group without PNF and PLYOT (CON) (n = 7), they were tested before (PRE) and after (POST) 6-week training for muscular power [i.e. vertical jump (VJ), seated medicine ball throw (SMTH), and rotational power ball throw (RPTH)] and flexibility [i.e. sit& reach test (SRT), shoulder& wrist flexibility test (SWFT), and trunk rotation test (TRT)]. The results have shown significant effects of the time for all study variables (p ≤ 0.05) of all groups except CON group had no significant effects (p ˃ 0.05). There were statistically significant differences favor COMB group (p ≤ 0.05) at the POST evaluation in muscular power variables in comparison with the PNF and PLYOT groups, while no statistically significant differences (p ˃ 0.05) were found between PNF, PLYOT, and COMB in all flexibility variables. In conclusion the combined effect of PNF and PLYOT has surpassed the individual effect of them on muscular power but not on flexibility variables.