Hasegawa, K. T., Hori, S., Tsujita, J., & Dawson, M. L. (2001). Effects of stretching exercises on the vastus medialis and vastus lateralis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33(5), Supplement abstract 51.

The effects on the vastus medialis, vastus medialis longus, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris muscles, of a number of stretching exercises (straight leg raise, ankle dorsi flexion/inversion, internal rotation, and adduction) and peripheral neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) were compared.

The PNF technique showed greater recruitment of the measured muscles than any of the other stretching techniques.

Implication. PNF stretching appears to excite muscles more than traditional stretching techniques. If the PNF technique is used in sports for warm-up and/or recovery, one does not have to do as much exercise volume as that afforded other stretching techniques.

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