Purpose: The current study investigated the effects of unilateral passive stretching on the neuromuscular mechanisms involved in the force-generating capacity of the contralateral muscle.
Methods: Twenty-six healthy men underwent unilateral passive stretching of the plantarflexors (5 × 45 s on + 15 s off; total stretching time, 225 s). Before and after the stretching protocol, contralateral ankle range of motion, maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of the plantarflexors, and surface electromyographic root-mean-square (sEMG RMS) of the soleus and the gastrocnemii muscles were determined. Concurrently, V-wave, maximum and superimposed H-reflex, and M-wave were elicited via nerve stimulation to estimate the supraspinal, spinal, and peripheral mechanisms, respectively. sEMG RMS, V-wave, and H-reflex were normalized to the M-wave.
Results: After passive stretching, contralateral ankle range of motion was increased (+8% [1%/15%], effect size [ES] = 0.43 [0.02/0.84], P < 0.001), MVC of the plantarflexors was decreased (-9% [-21%/-2%], ES = -0.96 [-1.53/-0.38], P < 0.001), and the sEMG RMS/M-wave of the soleus and the gastrocnemii muscles was decreased (≈-9%, ES ≈ -0.33, P < 0.05). Concurrently, the V-wave/M-wave superimposed was decreased in all muscles (≈-13%, ES = -0.81 to -0.52, P < 0.05). No change in H-reflex/M-wave and M-wave was observed under both maximum and superimposed condition. The decrease in the MVC and the sEMG RMS of the contralateral muscle was accompanied by a decrease in the V-wave/M-wave but not the H-reflex/M-wave ratios and the M-wave.
Conclusions: The present outcomes suggest that only supraspinal mechanisms might be involved in the contralateral decrease in the maximum force-generating capacity.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000002677 | DOI Listing |
Physiol Rep
January 2025
Sport Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ), Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
Both resistance training (RT) and long-duration, high-intensity stretching induce muscular adaptations; however, it is unknown whether the modalities are complementary or redundant, particularly in well-trained individuals. A case-study was conducted on a competitive bodybuilder implementing long-duration, high-intensity stretching of the plantar flexors (60 min 6x/week for 12 weeks) in conjunction with their habitual RT. Ultrasound muscle architecture (muscle thickness [MT], fascicle length [FL], and pennation angle [PA]) measurements were collected at multiple sites at four weekly baseline sessions, six (mid) and 12 (post1) weeks following the commencement of the intervention, and a week after the intervention (post2) while isometric strength and range of motion (RoM) were obtained once at baseline, mid, post1, and post2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
Faculty of Nano and Bio Science and Technology, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, 75169, Iran.
There are several studies that announce the inhibitory behavior of this sort of substance to strengthen the shield of metals, which is one of the positive benefits of green inhibitors. In the current investigation, Araucaria heterophylla studied as a green corrosion inhibitor to avert the mild steel during the acidic cleaning. The examination of this plant's ability to control corrosion at different concentrations in the acidic solution used certain expert measures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Orthop Res
January 2025
Graduate School of Health, Medicine, and Welfare, Saitama Prefectural University, Koshigaya, Saitama, Japan.
Incomplete tendon healing and postponed muscle weakness after Achilles tendon rupture and surgical repair lead to poor performance in patient activities. Although the effectiveness of postoperative early functional rehabilitation has been proven, the priority and each effect of specific methods in early rehabilitation remain unclear. We hypothesized early muscle contraction exercises without joint motion would promote tendon healing and prevent calf muscle atrophy; in contrast, early static stretching after surgical repair would not contribute to tendon healing and induce calf muscle atrophy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Mater
January 2025
Division of Intelligent and Biomechanical Systems, State Key Laboratory of Tribology in Advanced Equipment, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Haidian, Beijing, 100084, China.
Quantitative assessment for post-stroke spasticity remains a significant challenge due to the encountered variable resistance during passive stretching, which can lead to the widely used modified Ashworth scale (MAS) for spasticity assessment depending heavily on rehabilitation physicians. To address these challenges, a high-force-output triboelectric soft pneumatic actuator (TENG-SPA) inspired by a lobster tail is developed. The bioinspired TENG-SPA can generate approximately 20 N at 0.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMedicine (Baltimore)
January 2025
Department of Tuina and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, China.
Background: Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) is a common cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction. Modified posterior shoulder stretching exercises have been proposed as a treatment method aimed at improving shoulder function and reducing pain in patients with SIS. However, the efficacy of these exercises remains controversial, necessitating a systematic meta-analysis to comprehensively evaluate their effectiveness.
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