Objective:

This study mainly aimed to analyze the effect of different types of stretching on gymnasts’ jump height.

Methodology:

The following databases were consulted: Pubmed and EBSCOhost (SPORTDiscus, MEDLINE, Academic Search Complete, E-Journals, Premier Academic Source, International Bibliography of Theater & Dance with Full Text, and PsycARTICLES). The following boolean phrase was used: (stretch OR static stretch OR dynamic stretch OR ballistic stretch OR proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) AND (jumping OR vertical jump OR countermovement jump OR explosive strength OR performance) AND (gymnasts OR gymnastics). The following eligibility criteria were established: to use an experimental, quasi-experimental, or pre-experimental design; to conduct the study on a sample of gymnasts; to explain the methodology clearly; a good description of the stretching method applied.

Results:

Ten individual studies were included, the total sample among those studies was 226 individuals, and the number of interventions was 16. A 75% of the interventions had a non-significant effect (p> 0.05), while the other 25% had a significant effect (p <0.05 *) on the jump height. The percentage of significant effects corresponds to two increases and two decreases in jump height.

Conclusions:

Most interventions show that gymnasts’ jump height is not affected by different types of stretching (only 12.5% of interventions refute this claim); even two interventions showed increases in jumping capacity during a set time.