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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Sports Med Int Open 2018; 02(05): E142-E147
DOI: 10.1055/a-0684-9375
Training & Testing
Eigentümer und Copyright ©Georg Thieme Verlag KG 2018

Effect of Static Stretching with Superficial Cooling on Muscle Stiffness

Masatoshi Nakamura
1   Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Ryo Hirabayashi
1   Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Shuhei Ohya
2   Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Takafumi Aoki
2   Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Daichi Suzuki
2   Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Mitsuki Shimamoto
2   Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Takanori Kikumoto
3   Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Wataru Ito
3   Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Emi Nakamura
1   Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Tomoya Takabayashi
1   Institute for Human Movement and Medical Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
,
Mtsuaki Edama
2   Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, Niigata, Japan
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 20 March 2018
revised 26 May 2018

accepted 01 July 2018

Publication Date:
25 September 2018 (online)

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Abstract

This study aimed to clarify the acute effect of static stretching (SS) with superficial cooling on dorsiflexion range of motion (DF ROM) and muscle stiffness. Sixteen healthy males participated in the cooling condition and a control condition in a random order. The DF ROM and the shear elastic modulus of medial gastrocnemius (MG) in the dominant leg were measured during passive dorsiflexion. All measurements were performed prior to (PRE) and immediately after 20 min of cooling or rested for 20 min (POST), followed by 2 min SS (POST SS). In cooling condition, DF ROM at POST and POST SS were significantly higher than that at PRE and DF ROM at POST SS was significantly higher than that at POST. In addition, the shear elastic modulus at POST was significantly higher than that at PRE and the shear elastic modulus at POST SS was significantly lower than those at PRE and POST. However, there were no significant differences in the percentage changes between PRE and POST SS between the cooling and control conditions. Our results showed that effects of SS with superficial cooling on increases in ROM and decrease in muscle stiffness were no more beneficial than those of SS alone.

Key words

superficial cooling - shear elastic modulus - range of motion - stretch tolerance
 

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