For any involution σ of a semisimple Lie algebra g, one constructs a nonreductive Lie algebra k, which is called a Z 2 -contraction of g. In this paper, we attack the problem of describing maximal commutative subalgebras of the Poisson algebra S(k). This is closely related to the study of the coadjoint representation of k and the set, k * reg , of the regular elements of k * . By our previous results, in the context of Z 2 -contractions, the argument shift method provides maximal commutative subalgebras of S(k) whenever codim (k * \ k * reg ) 3. Our main result here is that codim (k * \k * reg ) 3 if and only if the Satake diagram of σ has no trivial nodes. (A node is trivial, if it is white, has no arrows attached, and all adjacent nodes are also white.) The list of suitable involutions is provided. We also describe certain maximal commutative subalgebras of S(k) if the (−1)-eigenspace of σ in g contains regular elements.It was proved in [9] that if q = g is semisimple and ξ ∈ g * ≃ g is regular semisimple, then F ξ (S(g) G ) is of maximal dimension. (Later on, it was realised that these subalgebras are also maximal [23].) Let q * reg be the set of Q-regular elements of q * . By [2], if trdeg (S(q) Q ) = ind q and codim (q * \q * reg ) 2, then F ξ (S(q) Q ) is of maximal dimension for