Short Term Effects of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Combined With Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Young Football Players: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Short Term Effects of Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Combined With Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Young Football Players: a Randomized Clinical Trial
Hamstring muscle injuries are common in sports like football and often lead to extended periods of inactivity. This study aims to compare the effects of two different stretching programs on hamstring flexibility, with a secondary focus on jumping performance in young football players. One group will perform a proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching protocol combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES), while the other group will follow the same PNF protocol with a placebo NMES.
Hamstring strains are increasingly common in sports, particularly in football, where they are among the most frequent injuries. Stretching techniques such as proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) are commonly used to improve muscle flexibility and reduce injury risk. A specific variant, contract-relax PNF (crPNF), involves alternating passive stretching with voluntary muscle contractions. Recent approaches suggest that applying neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) during the contraction phase of crPNF may further enhance its effectiveness.
This study aims to compare the short-term effects of two active stretching protocols on hamstring flexibility in young male football players. One group will perform crPNF with sham NMES, while the other will perform crPNF with NMES during the contraction phase. A secondary objective is to assess whether either protocol affects vertical jump performance, a key ability in football.
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