Acute Effects of Passive and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching Techniques in Youth Basketball Players

The physiotherapist positioned each muscle in its maximum lengthened state and held it there for 30 seconds. This process was repeated three times, with a 30-second rest interval between each stretch of the different muscle groups.

The physiotherapist initially positioned each muscle in its most extended state, similar to the positions used in passive stretching. In this extended position, the participants performed an isometric contraction against maximal resistance in the antagonist direction for 5-8 seconds. Following the isometric contraction, participants were instructed to actively relax, and after a 5-second waiting period to ensure complete relaxation, the movement range was passively increased. The new end point of the extended range of motion was held for 30 seconds. This stretching protocol was repeated three times for each muscle group, with a 30-second rest period between each stretch.