Plantar flexor muscle stretching depresses the soleus late response but not tendon tap reflexes

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dc.contributor.authorPulverenti, T.S.
dc.contributor.authorTrajano, G.S.
dc.contributor.authorKirk, B.J.C.
dc.contributor.authorBochkezanian, V.
dc.contributor.authorBlazevich, A.J.
dc.date.issued2021
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate changes in muscle spindle sensitivity with early and late soleus reflex responses via tendon taps and transcranial magnetic stimulation, respectively, after an acute bout of prolonged static plantar flexor muscle stretching. Seventeen healthy males were tested before and after 5 min (5 × 60-s stretches) of passive static stretching of the plantar flexor muscles. Maximal voluntary isometric torque and M wave-normalized triceps surae muscle surface electromyographic activity were recorded. Both soleus tendon reflexes, evoked by percussion of the Achilles tendon during rest and transcranial magnetic stimulation-evoked soleus late responses during submaximal isometric dorsiflexion were also quantified. Significant decreases in maximal voluntary isometric plantar flexion torque (−19.2 ± 13.6%, p = .002) and soleus electromyographic activity (−20.1 ± 11.4%, p < .001) were observed immediately after stretching, and these changes were highly correlated (r = 0.76, p < .001). No changes were observed in tendon reflex amplitude or latency or peak muscle twitch torque (p > .05). Significant reductions in soleus late response amplitudes (−46.9 ± 36.0%, p = .002) were detected, although these changes were not correlated with changes in maximal electromyographic activity, torque or tendon reflex amplitudes. No changes in soleus late response latency were detected. In conclusion, impaired neural drive was implicated in the stretch-induced force loss; however, no evidence was found that this loss was related to changes in muscle spindle sensitivity. We hypothesize that the decrease in soleus late response indicates a stretch-induced reduction in a polysynaptic postural reflex rather than spindle reflex sensitivity.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityTimothy S. Pulverenti, Gabriel S. Trajano, Benjamin J. C. Kirk, Vanesa Bochkezanian, Anthony J. Blazevich
dc.identifier.citationEuropean Journal of Neuroscience, 2021; 53(9):3185-3198
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/ejn.15178
dc.identifier.issn0953-816X
dc.identifier.issn1460-9568
dc.identifier.orcidBochkezanian, V. [0000-0002-8637-6759]
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2440/146230
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherWiley
dc.rights© 2021 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
dc.source.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15178
dc.subjectsoleus late response; static stretching; tendon tap reflex; transcranial magnetic stimulation
dc.subject.meshLeg
dc.subject.meshMuscle, Skeletal
dc.subject.meshAchilles Tendon
dc.subject.meshHumans
dc.subject.meshReflex, Stretch
dc.subject.meshElectromyography
dc.subject.meshMuscle Contraction
dc.subject.meshTorque
dc.subject.meshMale
dc.titlePlantar flexor muscle stretching depresses the soleus late response but not tendon tap reflexes
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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