BACKGROUND The use of external ankle support is widespread throughout sports medicine. However, the application of ankle bracing to a healthy ankle over a long period has been scrutinised because of possible neuromuscular adaptations resulting in diminished dynamic support offered by the peroneus longus. OBJECTIVE To investigate the immediate and chronic effects of ankle brace application on ...

Alternating a resistance exercise with a plyometric exercise is referred to as "complex training". In this study, we examined the effect of various resistive loads on the biomechanics of performance of a fast stretch-shortening cycle activity to determine if an optimal resistive load exists for complex training. Twelve elite rugby players performed three drop jumps before and after three back s...

This investigation determined the effects of different static stretching protocols on flexibility and passive resistance of the hamstrings. Forty healthy young adults were randomly assigned into one of four groups. The two training groups underwent static stretch training by a four-week and an eight-week protocol, respectively. The other two were control groups. A significant increase in hamstr...

OBJECTIVE Successful execution of upright locomotion requires coordinated interaction between controllers for locomotion and posture. Our earlier research supported this model in the non-impaired and found impaired interaction in the post-stroke nervous system during locomotion. In this study, we sought to examine the role of the Ia afferent spinal loop, via the H-reflex response, under postura...

The acute effect of whole-body vibration (WBV) training may enhance muscular performance via neural potentiation of the stretch reflex. The purpose of this study was to investigate if acute WBV exposure affects the stretch induced knee jerk reflex [onset latency and electromechanical delay (EMD)] and the isokinetic knee extensor peak torque performance. Twenty-two subjects were randomly assigne...