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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2017 Oct;52(10):918-924.
doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-52.7.03. Epub 2017 Aug 10.

Acute Passive Static Stretching and Cramp Threshold Frequency

Gino Panza  1 , Justin Stadler  2 , Donal Murray  1 , Nicholas Lerma  3 , Tomas Barrett  2 , Ryan Pettit-Mee  2 , Jeffrey E Edwards  2
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Acute Passive Static Stretching and Cramp Threshold Frequency

Gino Panza et al. J Athl Train. 2017 Oct.

Abstract

Context: Exercise-associated muscle cramps are a common clinical problem for athletes.

Objective: To determine whether acute passive static stretching altered cramp threshold frequency (CTF) of electrically induced muscle cramps.

Design: Crossover study.

Setting: Laboratory.

Patients or other participants: Seventeen healthy college-aged individuals.

Intervention(s): Stretching or no stretching.

Main outcome measure(s): The independent variable was the static stretch versus the no-stretch condition, and the dependent variable was the CTF.

Results: The CTF increased in both the control (pretest: 18.12 ± 6.46 Hz, posttest: 19.65 ± 7.25 Hz; P = .033) and stretching (pretest: 18.94 ± 5.96 Hz, posttest: 20.47 ± 7.12 Hz; P = .049) groups. No difference between the groups was found (t15 = 0.035, P = .97).

Conclusions: Acute passive static stretching did not seem to increase the CTF.

Keywords: Golgi tendon organ reflex response; electrically induced muscle cramps; exercise-associated muscle cramps.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Electromyography and root mean square data for 3 participants. The top graph shows the raw electromyographic data at rest, stimulation, and during the electrically induced muscle cramp. The bottom graph shows the root mean square data during the same time frame.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The mean cramp threshold frequency (CTF) for each day and condition. No-stretching (NS) condition pretest CTF = 18.12 ± 6.46 Hz, posttest CTF = 19.65 ± 7.25 Hz. Static stretching (SS) condition pretest CTF = 18.94 ± 5.96 Hz, posttest CTF = 20.47 ± 7.12 Hz. a Denotes differences between pretest and posttest within the NS and SS conditions (P ≤ .05).
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