1. Influence of Constant Torque Stretching at Different Stretching Intensities on Flexibility and Mechanical Properties of Plantar Flexors
- Author
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Masanori Yamanaka, Kentaro Mikami, Nathalie Keeler, Harukazu Tohyama, Mina Samukawa, Hiroshi Saitoh, Yuki Suzumori, Yuko Ishida, Kentaro Nakamura, and Kensuke Oba
- Subjects
Male ,musculoskeletal diseases ,Materials science ,Flexibility (anatomy) ,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation ,stretching intensity ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,Constant torque ,Plantar flexion ,range of motion ,Tendons ,03 medical and health sciences ,stiffness ,0302 clinical medicine ,Muscle Stretching Exercises ,medicine ,Humans ,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Range of Motion, Articular ,Muscle, Skeletal ,Resistive touchscreen ,Stiffness ,030229 sport sciences ,General Medicine ,musculoskeletal system ,nervous system diseases ,Intensity (physics) ,medicine.anatomical_structure ,Torque ,medicine.symptom ,Range of motion ,Biomedical engineering - Abstract
Oba, K, Samukawa, M, Nakamura, K, Mikami, K, Suzumori, Y, Ishida, Y, Keeler, N, Saitoh, H, Yamanaka, M, and Tohyama, H. Influence of constant torque stretching at different stretching intensities on flexibility and mechanical properties of plantar flexors. J Strength Cond Res 35(3): 709-714, 2021-The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of constant torque stretching (CTS) at different stretching intensities on the maximal range of motion (ROM) and muscle-tendon unit (MTU) stiffness of plantar flexors. Fourteen healthy men performed 4 trials of differing stretch intensities: no stretching (control), 50, 75, and 100%. Stretch intensity was defined as maximum passive resistive torque predetermined at a familiarization trial. Each stretch trial consisted of 5 sets of 60-second CTS at the designated stretch intensity. Both maximal ROM and passive resistive torque were assessed during passive dorsiflexion, and MTU stiffness was calculated using the torque-angle curves measured before and after CTS. There were no significant differences in maximal ROM or MTU stiffness at the baseline condition. After the intervention, significantly greater maximal ROM and significantly lower MTU stiffness were observed in the 100% CTS condition than the control condition, whereas there were no significant differences between the submaximal intensity condition (i.e., 50 or 75% intensity) and the control condition. Therefore, our findings suggest that maximal intensity stretching is the most effective approach for improving both flexibility and MTU stiffness with CTS.
- Published
- 2021