Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Toledo, 2004. / Typescript. "A dissertation [submitted] as partial fulfillment of the requirements of the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Exercise Science." Bibliography: leaves 72-77.

Theses (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains iv, 43 p. Bibliography: p. 28-30.

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effects of a long-term static stretching program on flexibility and spinal reflexes in the human soleus muscle. Day-to-day reliability over two days of H-reflex gain (Hslp/Mslp) and pre-synaptic inhibition of spinal reflexes in the human soleus was measured in an initial study. Thirty subjects (age=23.4 ± 3.9 yr, height=175.64 ± 10.87 cm, weight=84.5 ± 24.18 kg) with no history of lower leg pathology and/or injury within the previous 12 months volunteered. The slopes of the ascending portions of the H-reflex and M-wave recruitment curves were used to evaluate H-reflex gain (Hslp/Mslp). The mean soleus H-reflex from 10 conditioning stimulations and 10 unconditioned stimulations was used to calculate the amount of pre-synaptic inhibition. Measurements of H-reflex gain and pre-synaptic inhibition yielded test-retest reliability of R=.95 and R=.91, respectively. The contribution of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic reciprocal mechanisms in flexibility adaptations has not been measured during the same study. A long-term static stretching program (5 times per week for 6 weeks) of the soleus implemented within an experimental group of 20 subjects was used as an intervention to measure both spinal control flexibility changes. Additionally, 20 control subjects were measured that did not participate in the stretching program. Passive ankle dorsiflexion, Hmax/Mmax, H-reflex gain (Hslp/Mslp), pre-synaptic and post-synaptic reciprocal mechanisms were measured at baseline, 3 weeks, and 6 weeks for all 40 subjects. A 2 (Group) X 2 (Sex) X 3 (Time) mixed MANOVA with Tukey HSD with (a<0.05) was used. Only ROM had a significant interaction between Group and Time, whereas, a significant difference was not detected in the other dependent variables. The experimental group demonstrated significantly improved dorsiflexion ROM from baseline to 3 weeks (mean=6.2 ± .88, P<0.001), 3 weeks to 6 weeks (mean=4.9 ± .84, P<0.001), and baseline to 6 weeks (mean=11.2 ± .91, P<0.001). Consequently, the increase in flexibility by 42% after 30 stretching sessions was not the result of spinal reflex changes. / Graduation date: 2006

The increase in tissue extensibility and joint range of motion through stretching has often been demonstrated. However, the existence of an optimal stretch duration has not been proven and the identification of an ideal number of repetitions of a stretch has received little attention in the literature. The purpose of this study was to examine and clarify the relationship of duration and number of repetitions of a stretch and their effect on changes in hamstring extensibility (HE) resulting from a stretching program. The HE of 33 subjects who were randomly assigned to a control group or one of three treatment groups was assessed before and after a three-week stretching program. The subjects in the three treatment groups stretched once a day, five times a week, and either once for 15 seconds (1 X 15), twice for 15 seconds (2 X 15), or once for 30 seconds (1 X 30). A repeated measures ANOVA showed no statistically significant effect for treatment group (P=0.181) or for treatment by pre- and post-treatment measurements (P=0.140), but indicated a significant difference between pre- and post-treatment measurements (P<0.001). The HE of the control group (which did not stretch) changed only slightly (0.9��, SD 5.7), the 1 X 15 and 1 X 30 groups improved more clearly (4.2��, SD 3.1 and 3.8��, SD 6.7, respectively), and the 2 X 15 group's HE increased the most (6.8��, SD 3.9). The results suggest that varying durations and repetitions of a stretch may influence the magnitude of improvement of HE. However, with the relatively low power (0.46) in the present study, no statistically significant difference between stretching protocols of 1 X 15 seconds, 2 X 15 seconds, and 1 X 30 seconds could be found. / Graduation date: 1997

Techn. Univ., Diss.--Chemnitz, 2004. / Literaturverz. S. 141 - 151.

Thesis (M.S.)--A.T. Still University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brock University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 76-81).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 112-114).

Thesis (M.S.)--A.T. Still University, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Sam Houston State University, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 38-44). Also available online (PDF file) by a subscription to the set or by purchasing the individual file.