earticle

영어

Stretching exercises are known to help improve joint range of motion and mobility, but the appropriate exercise duration is not clear. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of stretching exercises for different durations on the Achilles tendon. This study was conducted on 24 healthy adult males and females. Active and passive dorsiflexion ranges of the ankle joint were measured using a smartphone application to investigate the effect of stretching exercises for different durations (15, 30, and 60s), and the pennation angle of the medial gastrocnemius muscle was measured using ultrasonography. Measurements were taken before, immediately after, and 5 and 10min after the stretching exercise. The active and passive dorsiflexion ranges and pennation angle significantly improved after stretching exercises for all tested durations. The active and passive dorsiflexion ranges measured immediately after the stretching exercise were significantly greater for the 30 and 60s durations than for 15s duration, with significantly decreased pennation angle the gains persisted even 5 and 10min after exercise. These results indicate that the stretching exercises for the Achilles tendon should be performed for more than 30s. This study provides useful information for clinical practice and research related to stretching exercises.