The effect of a passive stretch training protocol on performance during a drop jump in humans (original) (raw)

2013, The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness

Our study's aim is to show how a five-week stretch training protocol, based on passive stretching, can change muscle performance during a drop jump (stretch shortening cycle). This study observes in 8 healthy subjects (four males and four females), the effect of a 5-week passive stretch training protocol on the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) during the performance of a drop jump, and identify the architectural changes in the muscle. Subjects underwent measurements of their drop jump performance 3 times before, and 3 times after, the stretch training protocol. For the muscle tendon unit (MTU), changes were measured using the Hawkins and Hull's model. In order to calculate the length changes in the MTU, we measured the ankle and knee angles. For changes in the fascicle, the pennation angle and the thickness of the gastrocnemius medialis (GM) muscle were measured. After the 5-week stretch training protocol, a significant increase in flexibility was observed in the fascicle duri...

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