None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Background: Chronic effects of a regular program of stretching and warm-up exercise on muscular flexibility and isokinetic torque in elderly were not still investigated. Purpose: Two hypotheses were analyzed in this study: a) if regular stretching improves the flexibility and isokinetic torque in elderly, and b) if previous muscular warm-up improves the effect of stretching. Methods: active elderly subjects, with knee extension deficit >20°, were submitted to a stretching program of the hamstrings (stretch group, n=14), or to warm-up exercises previously to the stretching session (warm-up+stretching group, n=14). Stretching sessions (6 x 30s, 30s rest in between) were performed 3 days/week, during 4 weeks. For evaluation of the intervention effect in the subjects, the A1-B-A2 design was used where the phases A1 e A2 were the control periods (without intervention), and the B phase, the intervention period. The evaluations were performed before and after each phase. Each of the phases lasted 4 weeks. For flexibility evaluation, the angle of knee extension and the reach in the “sit and reach test” were measured. The isokinetic evaluation analyzed angle and peak of the active flexor torque (eccentric and concentric) at 60°.s-1, as well as the passive flexor torque at 2°.s-1. Results: After the intervention (phase B) there was a gain in flexibility (p=0.001) and an increment of the eccentric (p=0.003) and concentric (p=0.015) active flexor torque, without intergroups difference. The gain in flexibility and isokinetic evaluation remained after intervention (phase A2). There was no alteration in the passive torque (p>0.05). Conclusion: regular stretching caused muscleskeletal adaptations in long term enhancing the flexibility and active torque in elderly.
Interventions
Stretch sessions (6 x 30s, 30s rest intervals) were conducted 3 days a week for 4 weeks. warm-up exercise was made as follow: The dominant limb performed isotonic knee flexion exercises with a 1 kg weight strapped with velcro above the ankle. The knee flexion exercises were performed continually for the entire range of motion at a rate of 20 repetitions per minute (eccentric and concentric phases) for 3 minutes. The warm-up frequency was the same used for stretching. Only one group was submitted
Stretch sessions (6 x 30s, 30s rest intervals) were conducted 3 days a week for 4 weeks. warm-up exercise was made as follow: The dominant limb performed isotonic knee flexion exercises with a 1 kg weight strapped with velcro above the ankle. The knee flexion exercises were performed continually for the entire range of motion at a rate of 20 repetitions per minute (eccentric and concentric phases) for 3 minutes. The warm-up frequency was the same used for stretching. Only one group was submitted to Warm-up
Sponsors
Federal University of São Carlos
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
60 Years to 80 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
age between 60-80 years and déficit of knee flexibility >20°
Exclusion criteria
muscleskeletal and cardiovascular diseases
Outcome results
None listed