Differents Intensities of Passive Stretching on ROM, Neuromuscular and Performance in Soccer Players: A Blinded RCT

Effects of Different Intensities of Passive Static Stretching on Flexibility, Neuromuscular and Functional Performance in Soccer Athletes: A Blinded, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Intensity is a "qualitative" variable of a muscle stretching protocol, which is very little studied due to its inherent characteristic of the individual being stretched. However, it was pointed out as an important factor for ADM gain. To verify the effects of different intensities of static passive stretching on flexibility, neuromuscular and functional performance in soccer athletes.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Muscle Rigidity; Contracture of Muscle, Thigh; Strain of Hamstring Muscle (Disorder)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Passive static stretch

Detailed Description

It is a randomized, controlled, clinical trial, composed of male subjects, soccer players, randomly divided into 4 groups: Control Group (CG), Experimental Group 1 (GE1), Experimental Group 2 (GE2) And Experimental Group 3 (GE3). Initially, the measurements of flexibility (passive and active), neuromuscular (muscular passive torque, electromyographic activity), and functional (vertical jump and shuttle run test) of non-dominant lower limbs, performed before and immediately after the 1st And 48 hours after the last session. The GC will only be submitted for initial evaluation and final re-evaluation. The experimental groups will undergo a protocol of static passive stretching containing 10 sessions, divided into 3 weekly sessions, with 3 maneuvers of 30 s, but with different intensities (Tolerable Maximum Pain, Maximum No Pain Discomfort, and Stretching Sensation Without Discomfort) Established from a PERFLEX-modified visual scale. Groups with higher static passive stretching intensities (Maximum Tolerable Pain and Maximum Painless Discomfort) are expected to have greater gains in flexibility, with no change in muscle passive torque, electromyographic activity and functional performance, while the intensity of Feeling of Stretching without Discomfort (in a comfort zone) provides a greater decrease of the muscular passive torque, without significant change of the flexibility, in individual athletes of soccer. This work may contribute to the clinical practice of health professionals, since it seeks to improve the elaboration of the clinical prescription of protocols of static passive stretching (whether performed by the individual or not), establishing optimal levels of intensity for a given muscle group.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • RN
    • Natal, RN, Brazil, 59072-970
      • Recruiting
      • Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte
      • Contact: Ronan R Varela de Melo, Master; Phone Number: +5584991366307; Email: ronanriq@gmail.com
      • Principal Investigator: Wouber H de Brito Vieira, PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Bento J Abreu, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: Male

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• (1) being male; (2) age range between 18 and 35 years of age; (3) Body Mass Index (BMI) between 19 and 27; (4) be a soccer player with 4 to 5x weekly training; (5) not participating in lower limb stretching programs; (6) no history of injury, trauma, previous surgeries and lower limb disease in the last 6 months; (7) absence of musculoskeletal, cardiorespiratory and neurological disorders that prevent the accomplishment of evaluation and treatment protocols; (8) not under the action of drugs that cause muscle relaxation or that may inhibit tonic muscle action (9) present a limitation of WMD (muscular shortening degree) with ischiatibial extensibility of less than 165 degrees of active extension of the knee with the hip Flexed at 90 °.

Exclusion Criteria:

• (1) initiate stretching practice involving LLLs in daily activities outside the collection site during the study period; (2) not performing any of the evaluation and / or intervention procedures; (3) discontinuance in participating in the research.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Group; The subjects of the CG will receive the same orientations of the other groups in relation to the importance of the routines of stretching activities, but during the study period, they will not be able to perform stretches during their day to day life.
Experimental: Experimental Group 1; The experimental group 1 will have the sensation of "SENSATION SENSING WITHOUT DESCONFORT" as an intensity for the application of the passive stretch protocol.	Other: Passive static stretch; Each experimental group will be submitted to 10 (ten) sessions, with three (3) weekly sessions of static passive stretching, with a 48 h interval between them. Each session will be performed 3 (three) maneuvers containing a duration of 30 seconds, this being the same rest time, performed in all experimental groups.
Experimental: Experimental Group 2; The GE2 will have the feeling of "MAXIMUM DISORDER WITHOUT PAIN" as the as an intensity for the application of the passive stretch protocol.	Other: Passive static stretch; Each experimental group will be submitted to 10 (ten) sessions, with three (3) weekly sessions of static passive stretching, with a 48 h interval between them. Each session will be performed 3 (three) maneuvers containing a duration of 30 seconds, this being the same rest time, performed in all experimental groups.
Experimental: Experimental Group 3; GE3 will have the sensation of "MAXIMUM TOLERABLE PAIN" as the as an intensity for the application of the passive stretch protocol.	Other: Passive static stretch; Each experimental group will be submitted to 10 (ten) sessions, with three (3) weekly sessions of static passive stretching, with a 48 h interval between them. Each session will be performed 3 (three) maneuvers containing a duration of 30 seconds, this being the same rest time, performed in all experimental groups.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Range of motion (ROM)	The measurement will be performed in two positions: with hip flexed at 90 ° and with extended leg elevation, using goniometry for measurement.	48 h after intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pleasure after stretching program	Each volunteer will be asked shortly after each session what was the pleasure felt in achieving the sensation of stretching, which is indicated by the feeling scale.	1 minute after intervention
Pain after stretching session	Measurement from the visual analogue scale of 100 mm.	1 minute after intervention
Functional performance	Evaluation of functional performance with measures of vertical jump and shuttle run	48 h after intervention
Electromyographic responses of the hamstring	Electromyographic responses of the hamstring muscles in performing knee extension and hip flexion	48 h after intervention
Passive torque	Isokinetic performance evaluation	48 h after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Wouber H de Brito Vieira, PhD, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Apostolopoulos N, Metsios GS, Flouris AD, Koutedakis Y, Wyon MA. The relevance of stretch intensity and position-a systematic review. Front Psychol. 2015 Aug 18;6:1128. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01128. eCollection 2015.
• Behm DG, Bradbury EE, Haynes AT, Hodder JN, Leonard AM, Paddock NR. Flexibility is not Related to Stretch-Induced Deficits in Force or Power. J Sports Sci Med. 2006 Mar 1;5(1):33-42. eCollection 2006.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 9, 2017
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): September 30, 2017
• Study Completion (Anticipated): November 30, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 6, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 9, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): May 12, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 12, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 9, 2017
• Last Verified: May 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Stretching; Stretching sensation; Isokinetic dynamometry; Stretching load.
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Neurologic Manifestations; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Manifestations; Muscle Hypertonia; Contracture; Muscle Rigidity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1.883.129

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No