Training and Detraining Effects Following a Static Stretching Program on Medial Gastrocnemius Passive Properties

Masatoshi Nakamura; Kaoru Yahata; Shigeru Sato; Ryosuke Kiyono; Riku Yoshida; Taizan Fukaya; João Pedro Nunes; Andreas Konrad

doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.656579

Training and Detraining Effects Following a Static Stretching Program on Medial Gastrocnemius Passive Properties

Front Physiol. 2021 Apr 1:12:656579. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.656579. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Masatoshi Nakamura^{1

2}, Kaoru Yahata¹, Shigeru Sato¹, Ryosuke Kiyono¹, Riku Yoshida², Taizan Fukaya^{1

3}, João Pedro Nunes⁴, Andreas Konrad⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
² Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan.
³ Department of Rehabilitation, Kyoto Kujo Hospital, Kyoto, Japan.
⁴ Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Physical Education and Sport Center, Londrina State University, Londrina, Brazil.
⁵ Institute of Human Movement Science, Sport and Health, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.

Abstract

A stretching intervention program is performed to maintain and improve range of motion (ROM) in sports and rehabilitation settings. However, there is no consensus on the effects of stretching programs on muscle stiffness, likely due to short stretching durations used in each session. Therefore, a longer stretching exercise session may be required to decrease muscle stiffness in the long-term. Moreover, until now, the retention effect (detraining) of such an intervention program is not clear yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the training (5-week) and detraining effects (5-week) of a high-volume stretching intervention on ankle dorsiflexion ROM (DF ROM) and medial gastrocnemius muscle stiffness. Fifteen males participated in this study and the plantarflexors of the dominant limb were evaluated. Static stretching intervention was performed using a stretching board for 1,800 s at 2 days per week for 5 weeks. DF ROM was assessed, and muscle stiffness was calculated from passive torque and muscle elongation during passive dorsiflexion test. The results showed significant changes in DF ROM and muscle stiffness after the stretching intervention program, but the values returned to baseline after the detraining period. Our results indicate that high-volume stretching intervention (3,600 s per week) may be beneficial for DF ROM and muscle stiffness, but the training effects are dismissed after a detraining period with the same duration of the intervention.

Keywords: flexibility; muscle stiffness; passive torque; range of motion; stretch tolerance; ultrasound.