The effects of preexercise stretching on muscular soreness, tenderness and force loss following heavy eccentric exercise

Abstract

The present study sought to investigate the effects of preexercise stretching on delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), i.e. soreness, tenderness and loss of muscle force, that usually occurs after strenuous or unaccustomed eccentric exercise. Ten female volunteers performed 10 sets of 10 maximal isokinetic eccentric contractions for knee flexion with both legs after a 5‐min ergometer cycling warm‐up. Prior to the exercise for one leg, randomly chosen, 4×20 s of static stretching for the hamstring muscle group was implemented. Rated soreness, tenderness on algometer pressure and loss of maximal eccentric contractile force was evaluated preexercise and 24, 48 and 96 h postexercise. The exercise bout produced severe DOMS, with parameters peaking and troughing at 48 h postexercise. However, no significant differences were found, regarding any of the parameters, when comparing stretched and nonstretched legs. The present study thus suggests that preexercise static stretching has no preventive effect on the muscular soreness, tenderness and force loss that follows heavy eccentric exercise.

Efeitos de um tratamento combinado (vitamina C pré-exercício e alongamento FNP, tratamento com ultrassom pós-exercício) sobre marcadores de dano muscular induzido por exercício

“…The result of our study was similar to this study, but it was different from previous studies by High et al 25 , Johansson et al 26 . Additionally, pulsed ultrasound was used in the past for stable cavitation and microstreaming to heal injured muscles.…”

Evidence of the physiotherapeutic interventions used currently after exercise-induced muscle damage: Systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Nine RCTs (Buroker & Schwane, 1989;Gulick et al, 1996;High et al, 1989;Johansson et al, 1999;Lund et al, 1998;McGlynn et al, 1979;Torres et al, 2007;Torres et al, 2005;Wessel & Wan, 1994) were found ( Table 4) that evaluated the effects of muscle stretching after exercise-induced muscle damage.…”

“…single stretching program before exercise (Johansson et al, 1999;Wessel & Wan, 1994); single stretching program after exercise (Gulick et al, 1996;High et al, 1989;Torres et al, 2007;Wessel & Wan, 1994); single stretching program before and repeated stretching program after exercise (High et al, 1989); and repeated stretching program after exercise (Buroker & Schwane, 1989;McGlynn et al, 1979). Therefore, the effect of stretching in the recovery of muscle function seems to fail regardless of when it is applied.…”

“…In total, 35 studies were included in the systematic review; 10 analysed the effects of cryotherapy (Ascensão, Leite, Rebelo, Magalhães, & Magalhães, 2011;Bailey et al, 2007;Eston & Peters, 1999;Goodall & Howatson, 2008;Howatson, Gaze, & Van-Someren, 2005;Howatson, Goodall, & Someren, 2009;Jakeman, Macrae, & Eston, 2009;Paddon-Jones & Quiley, 1997;Sellwood, Brukner, Williams, Nicol, & Hinman, 2007;Skurvydas et al, 2006), nine the effect of massage (Abad, Ito, Barroso, Ugrinowitsch, & Tricoli, 2010;Farr, Nottle, Nosaka, & Sacco, 2002;Hilbert, Sforzo, & Swensen, 2003;Lightfoot, Char, McDermott, & Goya, 1997;Mancinelli, Davis, Aboulhosn, Eisenhofer, & Foutty, 2006;Smith et al, 1994;Weber, Servedio, & Woodall, 1994;Willems, Hale, & Wilkinson, 2009;Zainuddin, Newton, Sacco, & Nosaka, 2005), nine the effect of stretching (Buroker & Schwane, 1989;Gulick, Kimura, Sitler, Paolone, & Kelly, 1996;High, Howley, & Franks, 1989;Johansson, Lindstrom, Sundelin, & Lindstrom, 1999;Lund, Vestergaard-Poulsen, Kanstrup, & Sejrsen, 1998;McGlynn, Laughlin, & Rowe, 1979;Torres, Appell, & Duarte, 2007;Torres, Carvalho, & Duarte, 2005;Wessel & Wan, 1994) and seven analysed the effects of low-intensity exercise (Chen, Nosaka, & Wu, 2008;Dannecker, Koltyn, Riley, & Robinson, 2002;Donnelly, Clarkson, & RJ., 1992;Hasson, Barnes, Hunter, & Williams, 1989;…”

The Effect of a Four-Week Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching Program on Isokinetic Torque Production

“…The primary aim of stretching is to maintain or improve flexibility. It has also been suggested that stretching may prevent injury (1), reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (9), and performed chronically can enhance performance (10), though these claims are more controversial not least because the processes by which these effects may arise are complex. Nevertheless, it is widely accepted that flexibility is an important component of general fitness, and it is likely that there is a certain minimum range of motion required to safely and optimally perform a given activity.…”