Cross-education effect of 4-week high- or low-intensity static stretching intervention programs on passive properties of plantar flexors

• Published in: Journal of biomechanics 2022-03, Vol.133, p.110958-110958, Article 110958
• Main Authors: Nakamura, Masatoshi, Yoshida, Riku, Sato, Shigeru, Yahata, Kaoru, Murakami, Yuta, Kasahara, Kazuki, Fukaya, Taizan, Takeuchi, Kosuke, Nunes, João Pedro, Konrad, Andreas
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Education; Flexors; Humans; Intervention; Male; Muscle stiffness; Muscle Stretching Exercises; Muscle, Skeletal - physiology; Muscles; Non-local effect; Pain; Range of motion; Range of Motion, Articular - physiology; Rehabilitation; Resistance training; Software; Stiffness; Strength training; Stretch training; Stretching; Stretching intensity; Tendons - physiology; Torque; Ultrasonic imaging; Ultrasound; Variance analysis
• ISSN: 0021-9290; 1873-2380
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.110958

This study aimed to compare the cross-education effect of unilateral stretching intervention programs with two different intensities (high- vs. low-intensity) on dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM), muscle stiffness, and muscle architecture following a 4-week stretching intervention. Twenty-eight healthy males were randomly allocated into two groups: a high-intensity static stretching (HI-SS) intervention group (n = 14; stretch intensity 6–7 out of 10) and a low-intensity static stretching (LI-SS) intervention group (n = 14; stretch intensity 0–1 out of 10). The participants were asked to stretch their dominant leg (prefer to kick a ball) for 4 weeks (3 × week for 3 × 60 s). Before and after the intervention, the non-trained leg passive properties (DF ROM, passive torque, and muscle stiffness) of the plantar flexors and the muscle architecture of the gastrocnemius medialis (muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length) were measured. Non-trained DF ROM and passive torque at DF ROM were significantly increased in the HI-SS group (p