title: Non-Muscular Structures Can Limit the Maximal Joint Range of Motion during Stretching.
abstract: Stretching is widely used in sport training and clinical practice with the aim of increasing muscle-tendon extensibility and joint range of motion. The underlying assumption is that extensibility increases as a result of increased passive tension applied to muscle-tendon units. In some stretching protocols, this condition is not always met sufficiently to trigger adaptation within the muscle-tendon unit. For example, there is experimental evidence that both acute and chronic stretching interventions may increase the maximal range of motion in the absence of changes in the passive torque-angle curve. We contend that these results are partly explained by the influence of non-muscular structures that contribute only marginally to the passive torque. The potential candidates are the nervous system and fasciae, which would play an important role in the perception of the stretch and in the limitation of the range of motion of the maximal joints. At least in part, this may explain the lack of a significant effect of some chronic stretching interventions to change passive muscle tension.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Movement, Interactions, Performance" (EA 4334), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Nantes, 25 Bis Boulevard Guy Mollet, BP 72206, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France. antoine.nordez@univ-nantes.fr.
authors.forename: Antoine
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7276-4793
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nordez
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Movement, Interactions, Performance" (EA 4334), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Nantes, 25 Bis Boulevard Guy Mollet, BP 72206, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France.|Gait Analysis Laboratory, Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, University Hospital of Nantes, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Raphaël
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Movement, Interactions, Performance" (EA 4334), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Nantes, 25 Bis Boulevard Guy Mollet, BP 72206, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France.|Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Estrada da Costa, 1499-002, Cruz Quebrada, Dafundo, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Movement, Interactions, Performance" (EA 4334), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Nantes, 25 Bis Boulevard Guy Mollet, BP 72206, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France.|School of Physiotherapy, IFM3R, Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Le Sant
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Estrada da Costa, 1499-002, Cruz Quebrada, Dafundo, Portugal.|Benfica LAB, Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Sandro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freitas
authors.affiliation: Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ellis
authors.affiliation: Health and Rehabilitation Research Institute, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: McNair
authors.affiliation: Laboratory "Movement, Interactions, Performance" (EA 4334), Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Nantes, 25 Bis Boulevard Guy Mollet, BP 72206, 44322, Nantes Cedex 3, France.|NHMRC Centre of Clinical Research Excellence in Spinal Pain, Injury and Health, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hug
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D004576:Electromyography; D006801:Humans; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D013710:Tendons / Q000502:physiology*; D019415:Torque
keywords: Gastrocnemius Medialis; Passive Knee Extension; Passive Tension; Passive Torque; Slump Position