Motivation as a Strategy for Adherence to a Stretching Program for Basketball Players

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Background: Basketball is considered a medium-high injury sport, because of the mechanisms of injury, which can be acute, by repetition mechanisms or by overload. An effective way to avoid muscle overload injuries is to perform an extensibility workout such as an analytical active stretching program. The objective of this study is to achieve adherence to a stretching program by motivating young basketball players. Methods: Randomized experimental clinical trial controlled by a single blind person. 21 child players between 11 and 12 years, divided into intervention group (IG) and control group (CG). IG carries out a supervised static stretching program at the end of training 3 days/week for 12 weeks and CG has normally developed the standard stretches of their Basketball Club. The extensibility of various muscle groups was valued in both groups. In addition, motivation was valued by Sport Motivation Scale.

Detailed Description
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The inclusion criteria were: to be between 12 and 13 years of age (both included), to be an active player at the time of selection, to sign the informed consent form and failure to meet the exclusion criteria. The exclusion criteria were: to have an injury at the time of selection and psychological and/or psychiatric illnesses. The main outcomes were: the adherence to a stretching program (monitoring calendars), the extensibility of the posterior musculature (fingertip-to-floor test), the adductor extensibility (sideways leg splits test), the gastrocnemius and soleus extensibility (weight-bearing lunge test through the Leg Motion system), the hamstring extensibility (goniometer with the passive straight leg raise and it was considerated shortening if it doesn't reach >80 degrees of elevation, the extensibility of the quadriceps (Ely test by a goniometer), the extensibility of the psoas (modified Thomas test using a goniometer).

Official Title
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Motivation as a Strategy for Adherence to a Stretching Program for Basketball Players: a Pilot Study.

Conditions
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Motivation, Sports Physical Therapy, Muscle Tightness

Intervention / Treatment
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* Procedure: Stretching program


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: To be an active player at the time of selection, to sign the informed consent form, failure to meet the exclusion criteria. Exclusion Criteria: To have an injury at the time of selection, psychological and/or psychiatric illnesses.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 12 Years
Maximum Age: 13 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: Single-blind, randomized, controlled, experimental clinical trial.
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Experimental group<br>The experimental group received a lecture session explaining what stretching is, its advantages and the importance of stretching in injury prevention. The specific intervention programme was to be performed at least 3 days/week (after training) for 12 weeks. These were static, active stretches of the muscles of the lower back, psoas iliacus, quadriceps, adductors, gluteus, hamstrings, and sural triceps. For each muscle group, the stretch was held for 60 seconds, divided into 3 repetitions of 20 seconds. Between each repetition, we did not return to the initial position but sought a new barrier to the stretch which would provoke the sensations described above. The total time dedicated to stretching was approximately 15 minutes per session. | Procedure: Stretching program<br>* The stretching programme was to be performed at least 3 days/week (after training) for 12 weeks. These were static, active stretches of the muscles of the lower back, psoas iliacus, quadriceps, adductors, gluteus, hamstrings, and sural triceps. The final stretching position was that which generated a sensation of moderate-intense tightness in the muscles, but without exceeding the pain threshold. For each muscle group, the stretch was held for 60 seconds, divided into 3 repetitions of 20 seconds. Between each repetition, we did not return to the initial position but sought a new barrier to the stretch which would provoke the sensations described above. The total time dedicated to stretching was approximately 15 minutes per session.<br>|
| No Intervention: Control group<br>The control group performed the initial and final assessments and continued to perform their team's standard/habitual stretches. To record whether they performed the stretches prescribed by the club, the researchers went to the end of the training unknown sessions and recorded whether the players performed them or not. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Extensibility of the posterior musculature (centimeters) | This was measured with the Fingertip-to-Floor Test | 1 year | 
| Adductor extensibility (centimeters) | It was measured with the Sideways Leg Splits test | 1 year | 
| Gastrocnemius and soleus extensibility (centimeters) | The Leg Motion System was used. | 1 year | 
| Hamstring extensibility (degrees) | The Passive Straight Leg Raise test was used, assessed qualitatively and quantitatively. | 1 year | 
| Extensibility of the quadriceps (degrees) | This was measured with the Ely Test | 1 year | 
| Extensibility of the psoas (degrees) | The Modified Thomas test was used, assessing the psoas qualitatively and quantitatively as well as indirectly the rectus femoris, the tensor fascia lata and the abductors. | 1 year | 
| Motivation | It was assessed using the Sport Motivation Scale, validated in Spanish. This scale allows an objective assessment of the intrinsic, extrinsic and non-motivational factors of why children participate in their sport. In addition, the researchers added two questions related to motivation and stretching, to check whether the participants had correctly understood the importance of stretching. | 1 year | 
| Adherence to the programme (percentage) | This was assessed by means of monitoring calendars. The purpose of these was for the athletes to place blue stickers on the days they did the stretches and red stickers on the days they did not do them, thus giving them visual biofeedback of their involvement with the stretches. Each calendar was valid for six weeks, so one was given out on the first week and the second one in the middle of the study, on the sixth week. | 1 year | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Age | Years | 1 year | 
| Gender | Female or male | 1 year | 
| Height | Centimeters | 1 year | 
| Hypermobility | The Beighton Criteria were used. | 1 year |