Article

Various theories have been proposed to explain increases in muscle extensibility
observed after intermittent stretching. Most of these theories advocate a
mechanical increase in length of the stretched muscle. More recently, a sensory
theory has been proposed suggesting instead that increases in muscle
extensibility are due to a modification of sensation only. Studies that evaluated
the biomechanical effect of stretching showed that muscle length does increase
during stretch application due to the viscoelastic properties of muscle. However,
this length increase is transient, its magnitude and duration being dependent
upon the duration and type of stretching applied. Most of these studies suggest
that increases in muscle extensibility observed after a single stretching session
and after short-term (3- to 8-week) stretching programs are due to modified
sensation. The biomechanical effects of long-term (>8 weeks) and chronic
stretching programs have not yet been evaluated. The purposes of this article are
to review each of these proposed theories and to discuss the implications for
research and clinical practice.

Langue : ANGLAIS