Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Maximal Eccentric Torque Production in Women

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of static stretching on peak torque (PT) and the joint angle at PT during maximal, voluntary, eccentric isokinetic muscle actions of the leg extensors at 60 and 180 degree times s super(-1) for the stretched and unstretched limbs in women. Thirteen women (mean age plus or minus SD = 20.8 plus or minus 0.8 yr; weight plus or minus SD = 63.3 plus or minus 9.5 kg; height SD = 165.9 plus or minus 7.9 cm) volunteered to perform separate maximal, voluntary, eccentric isokinetic muscle actions of the leg extensors with the dominant and nondominant limbs on a Cybex 6000 dynamometer at 60 and 180 degree times s super(-1). PT (Nm) and the joint angle at PT ( degree ) were recorded by the dynamometer software. Following the initial isokinetic assessments, the dominant leg extensors were stretched (mean stretching time plus or minus SD = 21.2 plus or minus 2.0 minutes) using 1 unassisted and 3 assisted static stretching exercises. After the stretching (4.3 plus or minus 1.4 minutes), the isokinetic assessments were repeated. The statistical analyses indicated no changes (p > 0.05) from pre- to poststretching for PT or the joint angle at PT. These results indicated that static stretching did not affect PT or the joint angle at PT of the leg extensors during maximal, voluntary, eccentric isokinetic muscle actions at 60 and 180 degree times s super(-1) in the stretched or unstretched limbs in women. In conjunction with previous studies, these findings suggested that static stretching may affect torque production during concentric, but not eccentric, muscle actions.