What question did this study set out to answer?

To compare the acute effects of constant force versus constant length stretching on medial gastrocnemius mechanical properties and assess their relationship with impulse and maximal strain.

May 12, 2023Journal of BiomechanicsOpen Access

Constant force muscle stretching induces greater acute deformations and changes in passive mechanical properties compared to constant length stretching

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To compare the acute effects of constant force versus constant length stretching on medial gastrocnemius mechanical properties and assess their relationship with impulse and maximal strain.
Assessed 48 hindlimbs from 25 Wistar rats (13 male, 12 female; 13 weeks old) divided across six experimental groups (n = 8 per group).
Applied 30 minutes of stretching at 75%, 95%, or 115% of estimated maximal ankle dorsiflexion force under either constant force or constant length conditions.
Measured medial gastrocnemius peak force, peak stiffness, muscle belly length, and tendon length before and after stretching.
Constant force stretching induced significantly greater decreases in peak force and peak stiffness, as well as greater increases in muscle belly and tendon length, than constant length stretching (p < 0.01).
Maximal strain correlated with reductions in peak force and peak stiffness and increases in muscle belly length, whereas stretching impulse was only associated with decreased peak force.

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Implication

Controlled animal study demonstrates constant force stretching produces greater muscle deformation in rat hindlimbs, indicating maximal strain drives mechanical changes.

Cite This Study

Geusebroek et al. (2023) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6aa2b40c375ea2a2e2fdd49e https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111594

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Implication

Controlled animal study demonstrates constant force stretching produces greater muscle deformation in rat hindlimbs, indicating maximal strain drives mechanical changes.

Constant force muscle stretching induces greater acute deformations and changes in passive mechanical properties compared to constant length stretching

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

Constant force muscle stretching induces greater acute deformations and changes in passive mechanical properties compared to constant length stretching

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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