FLEXIBILITY TRAINING PRINCIPLES Flashcards
What factors affect the range of movement in a joint?
Age factors
The connective tissue of children in early childhood does not possess the same cross-bridging of fibres as an adult muscle tissue and is therefore more readily stretched. A young child can be stretched up to 14% strain before fibre rupture may occur whereas the adult limit may be around 5% strain. Flexibility may be lost through the pubescent growth spurt periods, but may be regained beyond this period. Full range flexibility is more readily attained during early childhood (6 – 10 years) and once gained it can be easily maintained with constant training.
Inactivity and range of movement
Active people are generally more flexible than inactive people. This is noticeable in the stiffness felt when mobilising a joint through a range that is not normally used. This is also relevant when a gymnast stops training for period of time due to injury or other factors resulting in a loss of range of movement.
Temperature
The tension present in tendons and muscle fibres is reduced when the temperature is raised and maintained. This is why a warm up prior to flexibility training is recommended.
Psychological factors
The gymnast is apprehensive about the onset of the discomfort felt during flexibility training and may display tenseness and therefore inhibit the necessary relaxation of the muscle fibres and sensory spindles.
Physiological factors
The physical parameters of the ROM are generally governed by;
- The shape of the articular surfaces of the joint,
- The extensibility of the muscle and its facial sheaths
- The resistance of the connective tissue – tendons, ligaments, joint capsule
- The muscle bulk and the strength of the muscles which move the limb to its full range of movement.
At which point in the training session is it best to include flexibility training and why?
Muscles will lose some of their ability to produce powerful contractions immediately following flexibility training sessions. Therefore, it is better to include the flexibility training session as a separate session or where this is impracticable, the flexibility should be trained following the technical component of the session i.e. at the end of the training session. This will allow the muscles to adapt and recover before the next training session.
Describe the active PNF stretching techniques?
The limb is passively raised towards the full range, the target muscles are contracted against the fixed limb, followed by a contraction of the agonist muscles.
The contraction of the target muscles provides a super-stretch and the contraction of the agonist muscles will reduce the tension in the target muscles by reciprocal innovation. It will also improve the strength and power of the agonist muscles.
Repeated contractions of the target and agonist muscles produces stronger contraction from each successive induction. The limb may be raised to a new range with each contraction of the agonist muscle
What is meant by a ‘stretch reflex’?
As muscles are stretched, the spindles are simultaneously stretched at the same rate and length.
Primary afferent nerves are connected to the spindles and they sense the ‘rate’ or ‘degree’ of stretch. Signals are sent to the central nervous system and evoke a response which causes the muscle fibres to contract just sufficiently to relieve the tension of the stretch to protect the muscle. This is termed the ‘Stretch Reflex’ or ‘Myotatic Reflex’.
Describe the passive PNF stretching techniques?
Stretch the target muscles passively and contract these muscles for at least six seconds in an attempt to move the limb out of full range stretch, while the muscle is held at full range.
When the contraction is slowly relaxed, the myotatic reflex is reduced and the tension in the muscle and tendon decreased. This permits a further passive stretch of the muscle.
Cyclic or repetitive contractions will further enhance the stretch since it will also stretch the connective tissue. The limb may be elevated to a greater range following each contraction and relaxation phase
Describe the 3 methods of increasing passive range of movement.
Prolonged stretch
Slow and progressive stretching exercises are held for prolonged periods. This reduces the resistance by reducing the stretch reflex action. Since the strain is maintained, the ‘tonic response’ will be affected and the resistance will be reduced. The tendons will ‘creep’ due to the decrease in the resistance in the tendon.
Cybernetic Stretching
Consciously relax the joint and imagine that it is more flexible than it is and passively stretch for a prolonged period. This relaxes the contracted ends on the muscle spindles in the joint and pre-sets the muscle spindles in an elongated position, thereby reducing the resistance to stretching.
Passive PNF Stretching
Stretch the target muscles passively and contract these muscles for at least six seconds in an attempt to move the limb out of full range stretch, while the muscle is held at full range. When the contraction is slowly relaxed, the myotatic reflex is reduced and the tension in the muscle and tendon decreased. This permits a further passive stretch of the muscle. Cyclic or repetitive contractions will further enhance the stretch since it will also stretch the connective tissue. The limb may be elevated to a greater range following each contraction and relaxation phase.
What is passive range of movement?
This is the maximum possible range and is achieved only with the application of external forces such as a partner’s assistance or gravity. The gymnast is ‘passive’ during this stretch.
What is active range of movement?
This is achieved by internal muscular forces and requires strong contractions of the agonist muscles to move the limb to cause the antagonist to be stretched. This form of range of movement is of great importance in gymnastics and requires both flexibility and strength.
Front splits performed on the floor are an example of a passive range while the unaided elevation of the leg into a ‘Y’ balance involves the active range.
