Time course of changes in passive properties of the gastrocnemius muscle–tendon unit during 5 min of static stretching

Nakamura, Masatoshi; Ikezoe, Tome; Takeno, Yohei; Ichihashi, Noriaki

doi:10.1016/j.math.2012.09.010

Cited by 78 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Nakamura et al reported that the passive torque of the gastrocnemius and the displacement of the myotendinous junction significantly changed at the 2-, 3-, and 4-min points with 5 min of PSS15 ) . Behm et al reported that reaction/movement time for regaining balance increased after 45 seconds of stretching4 ) .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute Effects of 5 Min of Plantar Flexor Static Stretching on Balance and Gait in the Elderly

et al. 2014

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[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of five minutes of plantar flexor static stretching (PSS) on the balance and gait of the elderly. [Subjects and Methods] Twenty-five subjects aged 65 years and above performed 5 min of PSS in the form of wedge board standing. The sway length of each subject’s center of mass was measured to examine the subject’s static balance. It was measured by one minute of quiet standing with the eyes closed. Functional reach tests (FRTs), timed up and go tests (TUGs), and 10-meter walk tests (10MWTs) were performed to examine dynamic balance and gait before and after PSS. [Results] The outcome showed significant increases in sway distances (6.55 ± 5.03 cm) after stretching. However, in the FRTs, TUGs, and 10MWTs, the reach distance and time did not show any significant changes. [Conclusion] These results suggest that the elderly subjects temporarily experienced difficulties in maintaining balance immediately after the PSS but that their dynamic balance and gait were not adversely affected after a short period of time. Therefore, to prevent falls and perform exercises in a safe way, it is recommended to allow patients to rest after performing PSS.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acute Effects of 5 Min of Plantar Flexor Static Stretching on Balance and Gait in the Elderly

et al. 2014

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“…In addition, the stiffness decreased from AT0cm to AT3cm to AT6cm at DF25°. The reason for this result was that at ankle angles approaching the maximum range of motion, the magnitude of myotendinous junction displacement has reached a maximum, and the relative magnitude of tendon elongation has reached a minimum 32,38,49,50 . Therefore, more energy must be absorbed by the AT, and AT0cm is close to the calcaneus, so it incurs the largest component of the passive tensile force.…”

Section: Effects Of Ankle and Knee Angle On At Stiffness Regardless mentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of different knee and ankle ranges of motion on the elasticity of triceps surae muscles, Achilles tendon, and plantar fascia

Liu

Zhou

Sun

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Stiffness is a valuable indicator of the functional capabilities of muscle-tendon-fascia. Twenty healthy subjects participated in this study in which the passive elastic properties of the medial gastrocnemius (MG), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), soleus muscles (SOL), Achilles tendon (AT, at 0 cm, 3 cm and 6 cm proximal to the calcaneus tubercle, corresponding to AT0cm, AT3cm and AT6cm, respectively) and plantar fascia (PF) were quantified when their knee was fully extended or flexed to 90° using shear wave elastography at 25° of dorsiflexion (DF25°), 0° (neutral position) of flexion, and 50° of plantar flexion (PF50°) of the ankle joint. The stiffnesses of the AT, MG, LG, SOL and the fascia with the knee fully extended were significantly higher than those with the knee flexed to 90° (p < 0.05), while the stiffness of the PF showed the opposite relationship (p < 0.05). When the knee was fully extended, the stiffness was higher in the LG than in the MG at PF50° and 0° (p < 0.01), and it was higher in the MG than in the LG at DF25° (p = 0.009). Nevertheless, regardless of the knee angle, the stiffness decreased from AT3cm > AT0cm > AT6cm at PF50° and 0° (p < 0.001), while the stiffness decreased from AT0cm > AT3cm > AT6cm at DF25°. Regardless of the knee and ankle angles, the stiffness of the PF increased in a proximal-to-distal direction (p < 0.001). These insights can be used to gain a more intuitive understanding of the relationships between the elastic properties of the muscle-tendon unit and its function. Achilles tendon (AT) injuries and plantar fasciitis can cause chronic pain and impairment 1. In the clinic, the type of treatment administered depends in part on the region and intensity of pain. For example, eccentric exercises are more effective in the treatment of mid-substance tendinopathy than in the treatment of insertional tendinopathy 1. However, because of the complexity of the anatomy and mechanics of the AT and plantar fascia (PF), it can be challenging to identify the region and severity of the damage. In terms of anatomy, the AT, which is the conjoined tendon of the medial gastrocnemius (MG), the lateral gastrocnemius (LG), and the soleus (SOL), is an important bridge for walking, running and jumping in daily life, and each of the contributing muscles exhibit unique structural features 2,3. The twisted structure of the AT is formed by the MG tendons, LG tendons and SOL tendons. These muscle tendons rotate as they descend but do not run parallel to each other 4. In addition, the superficial layer of the AT is formed by the MG tendons, while the deep layer consists of the LG tendons and SOL tendons 5. Furthermore, the LG is shorter and smaller than the MG, so the MG and LG differ in terms of muscle strength and their contribution to the AT 6. In other words, these regional structural features (including those of the MG, LG, SOL, AT and PF) have great inherent variability, which may affect the position and severity of damage in an individual 6. Therefore, it is necessary to further understand the relati...

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“…We monitored the electromyographic (EMG) activity of the MG and LG during stretching to confirm whether the subjects were relaxed and to ensure that no high activity occurred (Herbert et al, 2002;Morse et al, 2008;Abellaneda et al, 2009;Ryan et al, 2010;Nakamura et al, 2011Nakamura et al, , 2013. During all measurements, EMG activity was required to be less than 2% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC), confirming no contractile contribution to the muscle thickness, pennation angle, and fascicle length (Abellaneda et al, 2009;Nakamura et al, 2011Nakamura et al, , 2013. Although this does not assist in confirming whether the maximal range of movement was achieved, it ensured that there was no pain, and that all actions were passive.…”

Section: Electromyographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Effective and selective stretching of the medial head of the gastrocnemius

Edama

Onishi

Kumaki

et al. 2014

Scandinavian Med Sci Sports

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Muscle injury frequently occurs in the medial head of the gastrocnemius (MG), and stretching is used for treatment. However, there are no studies based on anatomical considerations and biomechanics. This study therefore examined the macroscopic anatomical structure of the triceps surae muscle to design an effective and selective MG stretching method, before quantitatively verifying that method by ultrasonography. The macroscopic anatomy was analyzed in 16 Japanese cadavers (25 legs). Based on the anatomical findings and the arrangement of fascicles in the MG, we concluded that ankle inversion might be advantageous for selective stretching of the tendon fiber bundles into which the MG inserts. We devised a method in which the limb was initially positioned with the knee joint in extension and the ankle joint in plantar flexion. Then, the ankle was dorsiflexed and inverted. The proposed method was compared with standard stretching and verified by ultrasonography in eight healthy adult males. This method effectively and selectively stretched the MG, producing a significantly decreased pennation angle and increased muscle fiber length. This method may be beneficial for preventing future injuries and may enhance the effect of therapy on the MG.

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Time course of changes in passive properties of the gastrocnemius muscle–tendon unit during 5 min of static stretching

Cited by 78 publications

References 41 publications

Acute Effects of 5 Min of Plantar Flexor Static Stretching on Balance and Gait in the Elderly

Acute Effects of 5 Min of Plantar Flexor Static Stretching on Balance and Gait in the Elderly

Influence of different knee and ankle ranges of motion on the elasticity of triceps surae muscles, Achilles tendon, and plantar fascia

Effective and selective stretching of the medial head of the gastrocnemius

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