Comparison of Eccentric Exercise and Static Stretching on Muscle Flexibility

NCT06469346 | Active Not Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: MGTFNG-2024
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 42
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Background: Muscle flexibility is a fundamental physical quality for body development, daily life and sports activities, and also for maintaining muscle quality during aging. Limited flexibility leads to an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal injury in general population and longer return to sports activities. Among the existent strategies to increase muscle flexibility in sports training and physical rehabilitation, static stretching is commonly used by health and physical activity professionals. Its effectiveness in increasing flexibility has been widely demonstrated; however its effects on muscle strength and power remains controversial. Therefore, eccentric resistance exercise has been proposed as an effective intervention for increasing muscle flexibility through structural changes on muscle architecture (pennation angle and fascicle length) with the additional benefit of resistance training on muscle strength and power. Nonetheless, its unknown if the increase in muscle flexibility through eccentric resistance exercise could be similar to what has been previously demonstrated with static stretching.

Conditions

Muscle Stretching Exercise; Range of Motion, Articular

Keywords

Eccentric resistance exercise; Static Stretching; Muscle Flexibility; Range of Movement

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Knee Extension Angle

  The degree changes in passive knee extension will be assessed using Passive Knee Extension Angle Test after intervention

  Before and after 6 weeks of training

• Sit-and-Reach

  The distance (in centimeters) of change on functional posterior chain flexibility will be obtained in Sit-and-Reach Test after intervention

  Before and after 6 weeks of training

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Maximal Isometric Voluntary Strength

  Before and after 6 weeks of training

• Long Head Biceps Femoris Pennation Angle

  Before and after 6 weeks of training

• Long Head Biceps Femoris Fascicle Length

  Before and after 6 weeks of training

• Long Head Biceps Femoris Muscle Thickness

  Before and after 6 weeks of training

Study Arms (3)

Eccentric Exercise Group (EEG)

EXPERIMENTAL

These participants will be subjected to 6 weeks of Nordic hamstring eccentric exercise (3 times per week)

Other: Nordic Hamstring Eccentric Exercise Training

Static Stretching Group (SSG)

EXPERIMENTAL

These participants will be subjected to 6 weeks of passive static stretching on hamstring muscle (3 times per week)

Other: Passive Hamstring Static Stretching Training

Control Group

OTHER

These participants will not be under any type of treatment during the intervention protocol

Other: Control Group

Interventions

Nordic Hamstring Eccentric Exercise Training OTHER

Warm up: stationary bycicle at 50 watts and 60 bpm Mobility exercises for hip and knee joint Nordic eccentric exercise protocol: * Week 1: 2 sets x 5 repetitions * Week 2: 2 sets x 6 repetitions * Week 3: 3 sets x 6 repetitions * Week 4-6: 3 sets x 8 repetitions

Eccentric Exercise Group (EEG)

Passive Hamstring Static Stretching Training OTHER

Warm up: stationary bycicle at 50 watts and 60 bpm Mobility exercises for hip and knee joint * Week 1-2: 1 set x 2 repetitions of 30 seconds * Week 3: 1 set x 3 repetitions of 30 seconds * Week 4-6: 1 set x 3 reps of 40 seconds

Static Stretching Group (SSG)

Control Group OTHER

No intervention

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: male
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Masculine University students between 18 and 35 years old
• Physically Inactive considering physical activity recommendations from World Health Organization
• Bilateral hamstring muscle stiffness defined as \<160° in passive Knee Extension Angle Test
• Body Max Index 18,5 \< BMI \< 24,9 kg/m2

You may not qualify if:

• Lower back and lower limb (hip, thigh, knee, ankle) musculoskeletal injury in the last 12 months.
• Hamstring injury (strain, tendinopathy, tendon avulsion) previously during the period of life
• Dietary anabolic supplements consumption
• Musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory o similar health condition that limits participation on physical activity programs
• Regular resistance training (2 or more times per week, carrying out progressive training) in the previous 6 months
• Smoker (1 cigarette per day)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universidad de La Frontera: lead

Study Sites (1)

Universidad de La Frontera

Temuco, Cautín, 4780000, Chile

Location

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Control Groups

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Epidemiologic Research Design; Epidemiologic Methods; Investigative Techniques; Research Design; Methods

Study Officials

• Gabriel N Marzuca-Nassr

  Universidad de La Frontera

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 13, 2024
• First Posted: June 21, 2024
• Study Start: March 3, 2025
• Primary Completion: December 30, 2025
• Study Completion: December 30, 2025
• Last Updated: August 19, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations

CL (1)