SportLogia
Vol. 6, Issue 2, December 2010.
EVALUATION OF HAMSTRING FLEXIBILITY BY USING TWO DIFFERENT MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
Bakirtzoglou Panteleimon1, Ioannou Panagiotis2 & Bakirtzoglou Fotis3
1 Organisation for Vocational Education and Training in Greece, Athens, Greece
2 Faculty of Physical Education and Sports Science, Thessaloniki, Greece
3 General Hospital of Thessaloniki "Agios Dimitrios", Thesaloniki, Greece
ORGINAL SCIENTIFIC PAPER
doi: 10.5550/sgia.1002028
COBISS.BH-ID: 1846808
UDC: 616.728.3:796.012.23
Summary FULL TEXT (.pdf) free of charge
The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of two different methods of measurement for hamstring flexibility. Forty male students athletes with mean age 23.45±0.44 years and forty non-athletes students with a mean age 23.08±0.98 years participated in this study. Hamstring flexibility was evaluated by two different methods of measurement: a) a Myrin goniometer and b) sit and reach test. Statistical analysis included the use of Independent Samples T-test while significance was set at p<0.01. The results indicated that athletes students scored better than non-athletes students only when hip joint’s mobility was measured with a Myrin goniometer. In conclusion the evaluation of joint's mobility should be done by using a method of measurement that would isolate the articulation of measurement from the interjection of other joints or muscular teams something that is achieved by the use of Myrin goniometer than the use of Sit and Reach test.
Key words:: hamstrings, Myrin goniometer, sit and reach test.
References
A.A.H.P.E.R.D. (1984). Technical manual for the health related physical fitness test. Washington, DC: Author.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. (1965). Joint Motion: Method of measuring and recording. Chicago, IL: Park Ridge American College of Sports Medicine. (1995). Guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger.
Baltaci, G.N.UN, Tunay, V.A., Besler, S. & Gerceker, S. (2003). Comparison of three different sit and reach tests for measurement of hamstring flexibility in female uni versity students. Br. J. Sports Med. 37(1), pp. 59-61.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsm.37.1.59 
PMid:12547745 PMCid:1724584
Chung, P.K. & Yuen, C.K. (1999). Criterion-related validity of sit-and-reach tests in uni-versity men in Hong Kong: Perceptual and Motor Skills. 88(1), pp. 304-316.
http://dx.doi.org/10.2466/PMS.88.1.304-316 
PMid:10214658
Ekstrand, J., Wiktorsson, M., Oberg, B, & Gillquist, J. (1982). Lower extremity goni-ometric measurements: A study to deter-mine their reliability. Arch. Phys. Med. Re-habil. 63(4), pp. 171-175.
PMid:7082141
Harris, M.L. (1969). A factor analytic study of flexibility. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport. 40, pp. 62-70.
Hoeger, W.W.K., Hopkins, D.R., Button, S. & Palmer, T.A. (1990). Comparing the sit and reach with the modified sit and reach in measuring flexibility in adolescents. Pediatric Exercise Science 2, pp. 156-162.
Hui, S.S.C. & Yuen, P.Y. (2000). Validity of the modified back-saver sit-and-reach test: a comparison with others protocols. Med.
Sci. Sports Exerc. 32(9), pp. 1655-1659.
Institute for Aerobics Research (1988). The Fitnessgram. Dallas: Author.
Jackson, A.W. & Baker, A.A. (1986). The rela-tionship of the sit and reach test to crite-rion measures of hamstring and back flexi-bility in young females. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport. 57, pp. 183-186.
Jackson, A.W. & Langford, N.J. (1989). The criterion-related validity of the sit and reach test: Replication and extension of previous findings. Res. Q. Exerc. Sport. 60(4), pp. 384-387.
PMid:2489868
Kendall, H.O., Kendall, F.P. & Wadsworth, G.E. (1971). Muscles: Testing and Function. (2nd ed.). Baltimore. MD: Williams and Wil-kins.
Kippers, V. & Parker, A.W. (1987). Toe touch test. A measure of its validity. Physical Ther-apy, 67(11), pp. 1680-84.
PMid:3671506
Leighton, J.R. (1955). Instrument and tech-nique for measurement of range of joint motion. Archives Physical Medicine Rehabilita-tion, 36, pp. 571-78.
PMid:13249709
Liemohn, W., Sharpe, G.L. & Wasserman, J.F. (1994). Criterion related validity of the sit-and- reach test. J. Strength Cond Res. 8(2), pp. 91-94.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/1533-4287(1994)008<0091:CRVOTS>2.3.CO;2 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/00124278-199405000-00006 
Minkler, S. & Patterson, P. (1994). The validity of the modified sit-and-reach test in col-lege-age students. Research Quarterly for Exer-cise and Sport 65, pp. 189-192.
PMid:8047711
Moller, B. & Oberg, B. (1984). Athletic train-ing and flexibility. A study on range of mo-tion in the lower extremity. Thesis, Linkoping.
Simoneau, G.G. (1998). The impact of various anthropometric and flexibility measurements on the Sit-and-Reach test. J. Strength Cond Res. 12(4), pp. 232-237.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/00124278-199811000-00005 
http://dx.doi.org/10.1519/1533-4287(1998)012<0232:TIOVAA>2.3.CO;2 
Wells, K.F. & Dillon, E.K. (1952). The sit and reach: A test of back and leg flexibility. Res.
