Effects of Pilates Stretching on Flexibility, Strength, Power and Muscular Endurance
Condition: Young Adults; Performance; Exercise
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      Introduction: The practice of stretching is commonly used in the preparation of activities
      and/or physical exercises that require some component of flexibility, strength, endurance and
      muscle power. This explains the high growth in recent decades of studies investigating the
      effect of stretching, mainly static and dynamic, when performed immediately before activities
      that aim to develop these physical capacities. Despite the growing interest of scholars on
      this topic, the long-term impact of dynamic stretching on flexibility, strength performance,
      endurance and muscle power is still not fully understood. In addition, a type of dynamic
      stretching little explored in the literature needs investigation: the stretches used during
      Pilates exercise sessions. The effects of these stretching exercises on a physical
      conditioning program based on Pilates exercises in the young adult population are not yet
      known. Objective: To verify through a randomized clinical trial the effects of stretching in
      a conditioning program based on Pilates exercises on flexibility, strength, endurance and
      muscle power. Methods: In this study, 32 young adults of both sexes will be randomized into
      two groups: 1) Traditional Pilates; 2) Pilates Without Stretching. The Traditional Pilates
      group will perform a protocol of stretching exercises followed by muscle strengthening. The
      Pilates Without Stretching group will perform an exercise protocol consisting only of muscle
      strengthening exercises. Muscle strength results will be evaluated by 1 repetition max by
      elastic resistance; trunk muscle strength/endurance by the 1-minute abdominal test and the
      Sorensen test, respectively; vertical jump performance by the sargent jump test; handgrip
      strength by the handheld dynamometer and flexibility by the sit-and-reach test. These
      physical capacities will be assessed at baseline and after 8 weeks of intervention.
      Interventions will be performed three times a week for 8 weeks. The analysis will be
      performed with intent-to-treat analysis and adjusted covariance for baseline outcomes.
    


Intervention name(s): Traditional Pilates; Pilates without stretching
Intervention type(s): Other; Other
Intervention description(s): This group will perform a traditional Pilates session, which consists of stretching exercises, followed by exercises to strengthen the core (trunk flexors and extensors), lower limbs and upper limbs. The total duration of the intervention in this group should be approximately 50 minutes.; This group will conduct a non-traditional Pilates session. This is because stretching exercises will be excluded. The muscle strengthening exercises will be the same as in the TP group, so that it is possible to discuss the influence of the inclusion/exclusion of stretching for the considered outcomes. The total duration of the intervention in this group should be approximately 35 minutes.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: Randomized and controlled clinical trial
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Other