ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Physiol.
Sec. Exercise Physiology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1555253
Comparison between 6 weeks of static stretching and resistance training programs on passive and active properties of plantar flexors. A randomized controlled trial
Provisionally accepted- 1Yamagata University Hospital, Yamagata, Yamagata, Japan
- 2University of Graz, Graz, Styria, Austria
- 3Sanyudo Hospital, Yonezawa-shi, Yamagata, Japan
- 4Maniwa Orthopedics Clinic, Maniwa, Okayama, Japan
- 5Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- 6Nishikyushu University, Kanzaki, Japan
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Introduction: Resistance training (RT) and static stretching (SS) are both exercises that increase range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, and muscle mass. This study aimed to compare the effects of SS and RT and examine factors related to the increase in ROM, muscle strength, and morphology. Methods: Thirty-six healthy untrained male adults (age: 21.7 ± 1.2 years) were allocated to SS, RT, or control (no intervention) groups for a 6-week intervention program. Dorsiflexion (DF) ROM, passive Static Stretching vs. Resistance Training torque at DF ROM, passive stiffness, maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVC-ISO), MVC concentric (MVC-CON) and MVC eccentric (MVC-ECC) torques, and muscle thickness of plantar flexors were measured before and after the intervention. Results and Discussion: Both SS and RT groups increased DF ROM (SS: p<0.01, d=0.65, RT: p=0.038, d=0.37) and passive torque at DF ROM (SS: p=0.027, d=0.64, RT: p<0.01, d=0.41) with similar small to moderate effect size magnitudes, while only the SS group experienced a significant, small magnitude decrease in passive stiffness (p=0.025, d=-0.32). MVC-ISO, MVC-CON at 30°/s, and MVC-ECC torques at 30°/s showed small to large magnitude, significant increases in muscle strength (MVC-ISO at 30° plantarflexion: p<0.01, d=1.00, MVC-ISO at neutral position: p<0.01, d=0.43, MVC-ISO at 15° dorsiflexion: p<0.01, d=0.43, MVC-CON at 30°/s: p<0.01, d=0.38, MVC-ECC at 30°/s: p=0.023, d=0.48), whereas muscle thickness at medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscle (p<0.001, d=0.56 and p<0.01, d=0.66, respectively) exhibited significant, small magnitude increases only in the RT group. A significant positive correlation was found between the change in DF ROM and the change in passive torque at DF ROM in both SS (p < 0.001, r = 0.863) and RT (p < 0.001, rs = 0.825) groups, but no significant correlation was found between the change in DF ROM and passive stiffness. SS and RT increased ROM similarly, and both ROM increases may be due to changes in stretch tolerance. If increasing ROM and muscle strength is the goal, RT should be selected; conversely, if changes in ROM and passive stiffness are the goal, SS should be selected.
Keywords: range of motion, Passive torque, Stretch tolerance, Passive stiffness, Muscle Strength, Muscle thickness, Pennation angle, calf raise exercise
Received: 04 Jan 2025; Accepted: 29 Sep 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Murakami, Konrad, Kasahara, Yoshida, Warneke, Behm and Nakamura. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Andreas Konrad, andreas.konrad@uni-graz.at
Masatoshi Nakamura, nakamuramas@nisikyu-u.ac.jp
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