Article ID: 11229
Purpose: To investigate the effects of two stretching methods on the elongation of different portions of the biceps femoris (BF).
Methods: Fifteen healthy men volunteered for this study. The shear elastic moduli of the proximal, middle, and distal portions of the BF were measured using ultrasonic shear-wave elastographic imaging at rest (supine position with 90° knee flexion and 90° hip flexion) and at two stretching positions (knee extension with 90° hip flexion [KE] and hip flexion with full knee extension [SLR]).
Results: A post-hoc test indicated that the shear elastic moduli of all portions were higher in both the KE and SLR positions than at rest. However, there were no significant differences between the KE and SLR for all portions. In addition, split-plot analysis of variance showed no significant interaction effect in the rate changes of the shear elastic modulus (three portions × two stretching positions).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that both the KE and SLR stretching positions could effectively elongate all portions of the BF and that there is no significant difference in the elongation of different portions between both the stretching methods.
