The time course of muscle-tendon properties and function responses of a five-minute static stretching exercise

The purpose of this study was to investigate the time course of the changes of muscle-tendon mechanical properties and the function responses of the plantar flexor muscles following 5 × 60 s of static stretching. Fourteen healthy volunteers were tested on four separate days in a random order with three different rest times (0, 5, 10 min) after 5 × 60 s of stretching or following a control period without stretching. During each test, the dorsiflexion range of motion (RoM), passive resistive torque (PRT), and maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) were measured with a dynamometer. Ultrasonography of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle-tendon junction displacement and motion capture allowed us to determine the length changes in the tendon and muscle, respectively, and hence to calculate their stiffness. We observed an increase in RoM and decrease in MVC at 0, 5, and 10 min post-stretching. This could be attributed to an increase in muscle elongation which lasted at least 10 min. A decrease in muscle-tendon stiffness was observed immediately, but not 5 or 10 min after the stretching. A decrease in PRT and muscle stiffness was observed up to 5 min after the stretching. No changes were detected in tendon stiffness or in any variable in the control group. The effects of a 5 × 60 s static stretching exercise changes the muscle-tendon functions (RoM, MVC), which are related to mechanical changes of the muscle but not the tendon structure, respectively. Although the functional changes last for at least 10 min, changes in muscle stiffness were only observed up to 5 min after the stretching exercise.