title: Influence of acute passive stretching on the oxygen uptake vs work rate slope during an incremental cycle test.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of acute passive stretching on O2 uptake (VO2) vs work rate slope during a continuous incremental ramp exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  On two different occasions, eight participants (age 23 ± 3 years; stature 1.71 ± 0.10 m; body mass 68 ± 8 kg; mean ± SD) performed two maximum incremental ramp tests on a cycle ergometer (25 W/min), with and without pre-exercise stretching. During tests, we measured VO2 and other metabolic and cardiorespiratory parameters on a breath-by-breath basis. The VO2 vs work rate slopes were calculated below (S 1) and above (S 2) the first ventilatory threshold (VET1).
  
  
  RESULTS
  With stretching: (1) peak VO2 did not change, while peak work rate decreased (P < 0.05, ES = -0.41; CI -1.40/-0.58); (2) in spite of a similar S 1, S 2 was steeper by about 11 % (P < 0.05; ES = 0.62; CI -0.38/-1.62).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stretching reduced peak work rate and altered the [Formula: see text] vs work rate relationship above VET1 (S 2), without affecting peak VO2. The present findings have practical implications, questioning the use of stretching manoeuvres especially when peak work rate plays a key role in exercise performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Eloisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Limonta
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Susanna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rampichini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Riboli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Venturelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cè
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via G. Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy. fabio.esposito@unimi.it.|Centre of Sport Medicine, Don Gnocchi Foundation, Milan, Italy. fabio.esposito@unimi.it.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010101:Oxygen Consumption
keywords: Aerobic exercise; Aerobic power; Efficiency; Peak power output; Ventilatory threshold