Abstract
Increasing age is accompanied by a decrease in muscle mass, muscle fiber size and type and a decrease in muscular power, max strength, explosive force and explosive strength. Flexibility has been promoted as a means to increase performance and reduce injury. However, recent studies have associated acute pre-exercise stretching with reductions in measurements of athletic performance such as power, force and strength. Although many studies show the inhibitory effects of acute stretching and flexibility it has been speculated that chronic flexibility may enhance these same athletic variables. Thus this study aimed to ascertain whether long-term stretching coincides with decrements to athletic performance, specifically power, in cyclists. We evaluated the relationship between range of motion (ROM) and peak anaerobic power (Pan,peak), peak aerobic power (Paer,peak) and age in two classes of cyclists; young cyclists (YC, age: <35 years old) and master’s cyclists (MC, age: >35 years old). 10 healthy male and female participants; 5 MC and 5 YC who had been cycling consistently for at least one year in a competitive setting were tested in the CSUS Human Performance Laboratory. Testing consisted of a graded exercise test (GXT), Wingate cycle ergometry and ROM measurements of the knee within a two-hour time window at least 24-hours after their last bout of exercise. There was no significant correlation between age and quadriceps ROM The correlation coefficient was -0.017 for ROM and age (p= 0. 963). There was no significant correlation between age and either anaerobic or aerobic power. The correlation coefficients were 0.34 for Pan,peak (p= 0.333) and 0.58 for Paer,peak (p= 0.081).. There was no significant relationship between quadriceps ROM and either anaerobic or aerobic power. The results of this study suggest that increased ROM has neither a beneficial or detrimental relationship on aerobic or anaerobic power as the subject ages. Our observations support previous research, showing no changes to performance and therefore recommend stretching must be based on the activity type and level of activity of the individual in question.