Research article - (2019)18, 351 - 358
Acute Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Mechanical Properties Result From both Muscle-Tendon Stretching and Muscle Warm-Up
Jules Opplert, Nicolas Babault
INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, University of Burgundy Franche-Comté, Dijon, France

Jules Opplert
✉ INSERM UMR1093-CAPS, Faculté des Sciences du Sport, Université de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, BP 27877, 21078 Dijon Cedex, France
Email: opplert.jules@gmail.com
Received: 26-02-2019 -- Accepted: 11-03-2019
Published (online): 01-06-2019

ABSTRACT

We investigated the acute effects of dynamic stretching on mechanical properties of plantar flexor muscles and tested the hypothesis that it would result from an interaction between muscle-tendon stretching and muscle warm-up. To test the stretching effect, dynamic stretching (DS) was compared to static stretching (SS). To test the warm-up effect, DS was compared to submaximal isometric muscle activity (SIMA) with similar contraction intensity. A control condition served as reference. These four conditioning activities were time matched (2×20s) and tested on separate days on 13 volunteers. Electrical neurostimulation was applied to investigate muscle mechanical properties (peak doublet torque (PDT) and rate of torque development (RTD)), before assessing maximal voluntary isometric torque (MVIT). Passive torque and muscle fascicles length, were measured respectively with a dynamometer and ultrasonography during a maximal passive dorsiflexion. These parameters were recorded before and after each conditioning activities. MVIT, PDT, RTD and fascicles length remained unaffected, while passive torque was significantly reduced (-11.6 ± 14.8%) after DS. SS significantly decreased MVIT (-7.7 ± 3.8%) and enhanced fascicles length (45.3 ± 49.2%), whereas SIMA increased PDT (5.8 ± 5.2%) and RTD (7.4 ± 8.3%) without affecting passive torque or fascicles length. These results may suggest that, during dynamic stretching, muscle-tendon stretching effects would partly counteract muscle warm-up effects.

Key words: Pre-exercise intervention, muscle stretching, submaximal contractions, passive resistive torque, fascicles extensibility, contractile properties

Key Points
  • Dynamic stretching did not affect maximal voluntary and evoked torque production, but decreased passive resistive torque.
  • During dynamic stretching, MTU stretching effects would partly counteract muscle warm-up effects.
  • Associated to stronger contractions, dynamic stretching could be a part of warm-up procedure, to optimize the subsequent muscle performance.








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