CONTEXT Passive stretching exercise protocols, as part of outpatient treatment or home exercise programs, are used to improve hypomobility. Despite the cosmopolitan use of stretching exercises, little is known about the forces being applied to the joint during these routine treatments. TYPE OF STUDY Clinical review. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION Articles were identified using MEDLINE and Google Scho...

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of an acute static stretching bout of the biceps brachii on torque, electromyography (EMG), and mechanomyography (MMG) during concentric isokinetic muscle actions. Eighteen (men, n = 10; women, n = 8) adult subjects (M +/- SD age = 22.7 +/- 2.8 years; weight = 78.0 +/- 17.0 kg; height = 177.9 +/- 11.0 cm) performed maximal isokinetic (30 and...

CONTEXT Exercise-associated muscle cramps (EAMC) are a common condition experienced by recreational and competitive athletes. Despite their commonality and prevalence, their cause remains unknown. Theories for the cause of EAMC are primarily based on anecdotal and observational studies rather than sound experimental evidence. Without a clear cause, treatments and prevention strategies for EAMC ...

BACKGROUND Static stretching (SS) is a recovery intervention used for the reduction of muscle soreness postexercise. The effects of SS on elite young footballers have received little attention, and therefore the aim of this study was to assess the effects of SS on muscle recovery following competitive soccer matches in elite young footballers. METHODS Ten male participants (16±1 years) were r...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 1. Acute Effects of Stretching on Strength Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 1.1 Effects on Isotonic, Isometric and Isokinetic Strength Tests . . . . . . . . . . . ....

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 443 1. Working Mechanism of the Musculotendinous Unit during Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 444 2. How Can Stretching Reduce the Risk of Injuries? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ...

Purpose: Many patients with Achilles Tendinopathy do not respond to eccentric training. The aim of the present case report is to find out the effect of eccentric concentric training of gastrocnemius and soleus combined with isometric contraction of gastrocnemius and static stretching exercises of gastrocnemius and soleus on pain and disability in a patient experiencing Achilles Tendinopathy. Me...

The present study investigated the acute effects of static stretching on peak force, peak rate of force development and integrated electromyography (iEMG) in 27 older women (65 ± 4 years; 69 ± 9 kg; 157 ± 1 cm; 28 ± 4 kg · m(-2)). The participants were tested during two exercises (leg press and knee extension) after two conditions: stretching and control. The data were collected on four days (c...

BACKGROUND Stretching exercises are able to promote adaptations in the muscle-tendon unit (MTU), which can be tested through physiological and biomechanical variables. Identifying the key variables in MTU adaptations is crucial to improvements in training. OBJECTIVE To perform an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) involving the variables often used to evaluate the response of the MTU to stretc...