Does ballistic stretching increase risk of injury?

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Introduction Ballistic stretching (BS) improves range of motion and performance but has been criticized as increasing risk of injury. However, increased risk of injury with BS has not been demonstrated, and no literature review of the topic exists to date. The purpose of this review is to examine the literature to find controlled studies reporting injuries with ballistic stretching and, where possible, compare them to static stretching injury rates.

Methods A literature review was performed in Pubmed and Sportdiscus. Studies from published journals were included if they included a ballistic stretching condition which specifically stated that there was bouncing at end range of motion.

Results 11 studies were found that met the inclusion criteria. None directly evaluated of injury risk of BS. Out of 11 papers, 8 failed to report injuries, 1 reported that BS had no effect on DOMS or injury, 1 reported the same injury rate between BS and control, and 1 provided incomplete information.

Conclusion Insufficient evidence exists to recommend against BS. Given the benefits of BS, future research should be conducted.