ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2021
No effect of passive stretching on neuromuscular function and maximum force-generating capacity in the antagonist muscle.
Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Impact of a Single Bout of Antagonist Stretching on Agonist Muscle Performance and Range of Motion: A Systematic review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine - open · 2026Pooled it
- Positional Release Technique Versus Muscle Energy Technique for Patients With Nonspecific Low Back Pain With Facet Joint Restriction: A Pilot Randomized Comparative Study.Pain research & management · 2026Trial
- The Acute Effects of Antagonist Static Stretching on Agonist Performance.Journal of sports science & medicine · 2025Trial
- Activation of skeletal muscle mechanoreceptors and nociceptors reduces the exercise performance of the contralateral homologous muscles.American journal of physiology. Regulatory, integrative and comparative physiology · 2024Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThe present study investigated whether or not passive stretching increases the force-generating capacity of the antagonist muscle, and the possible neuromuscular mechanisms behind.
methodsTo this purpose, the neuromuscular function accompanying the force-generating capacity was assessed in 26 healthy male volunteers after passive stretching and in a control session. Before and after passive intermittent static stretching of the plantar flexors consisting of five sets × 45 s + 15 s-rest, maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVC) and surface electromyographic root mean square (sEMG RMS) were measured in the tibialis anterior (the antagonist muscle). Additionally, evoked V wave, H-reflex, and M wave were elicited by nerve stimulation at rest and during MVC. Ankle range of motion (ROM) and plantar flexors MVC and EMG RMS were measured to check for the effectiveness of the stretching manoeuvre.
resultsNo change in MVC [p = 0.670; effect size (ES) - 0.03] and sEMG RMS/M wave during MVC (p = 0.231; ES - 0.09) was observed in the antagonist muscle after passive stretching. Similarly, no change in V wave (p = 0.531; ES 0.16), H-reflex at rest and during MVC (p = 0.656 and 0.597; ES 0.11 and 0.23, respectively) and M wave at rest and during MVC (p = 0.355 and 0.554; ES 0.04 and 0.01, respectively) was observed. An increase in ankle ROM (p < 0.001; ES 0.55) and a decrease in plantar flexors MVC (p < 0.001; ES - 1.05) and EMG RMS (p < 0.05; ES - 1.72 to - 0.13 in all muscles) indicated the effectiveness of stretching protocol.
conclusionNo change in the force-generating capacity and neuromuscular function of the antagonist muscle after passive stretching was observed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.