Static stretching has extensively been used in warm-ups, with the intention of augmenting performance and sinking the risk of injury. Contemporary assessments of the writings dealing with the role of static stretching question its use as such. There is diminutive, if any, indication that stretching pre- or post- partaking averts injury or following muscle soreness. Although static stretching before activity may augment performance in activities that necessitate an increased range of motion, such as gymnastics, static stretching can compromise muscle performance. For example, static stretching has been shown to result in a reduction in force production, power performance, running swiftness, response and movement time, and strength endurance. Furthermore, both proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching and ballistic stretching have been demonstrated to be unfavourable to ensuing performance. Dynamic stretching does not appear to prompt the performance lessening effects of static and PNF stretching and has been demonstrated to progress running performance. As a result, it would seem that dynamic stretching would be the preferred option for stretching during a warm-up.
