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Static Stretching Intensity Does Not Influence Acute Range of Motion, Passive Torque, and Muscle Architecture.

CONTEXT
Although stretching exercises are commonly used in clinical and athletic practice, there is a lack of evidence regarding the methodological variables that guide the prescription of stretching programs, such as intensity.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the acute effects of different stretching intensities on the range of motion (ROM), passive torque, and muscle architecture.


DESIGN
Two-group pretest-posttest design.


SETTING
Laboratory.


PARTICIPANTS
Twenty untrained men were allocated into the low- or high-intensity group.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Subjects were evaluated for initial (ROMinitial) and maximum (ROMmax) discomfort angle, stiffness, viscoelastic stress relaxation, muscle fascicle length, and pennation angle.


RESULTS
The ROM assessments showed significant changes, in both groups, in the preintervention and postintervention measures both for the ROMinitial (P < .01) and ROMmax angle (P = .02). There were no significant differences for stiffness and viscoelastic stress relaxation variables. The pennation angle and muscle fascicle length were different between the groups, but there was no significant interaction.


CONCLUSION
Performing stretching exercises at high or low intensity acutely promotes similar gains in flexibility, that is, there are short-term/immediate gains in ROM but does not modify passive torque and muscle architecture.