Effect of isostretching training on flexibility and muscle strength

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate effects of the isostretching exercise training on flexibility and muscle strength. Method: Thirty-one healthy subjects (27 women), aged between 18 and 28 years, divided into two groups: Group A, isostretching, which has undergone a program of exercises based on the isostretching technique, and Group B, standard, which was subjected to the same exercises using the general technical principles of traditional stretching. The training went on for 12 weeks, twice per week, one hour per session. Flexibility was evaluated through photogrammetry in pre- and post-test, evaluating the wrist-floor distance and classifying posture according to the categories of muscle shortening described by Kendall, while muscle strength was assessed using a handgrip dynamometer. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the results for each group in the flexibility test. Analysis of clinical significance and improvement by the Reliable Change Index (RCI) showed an improvement in flexibility affecting 14 subjects from both groups. Analysis of body contour in group A showed attenuation in the curvatures of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine, as well as the hip flexion angle, and group B showed attenuation in the curvature of the cervical spine and hip flexion angle. Group A showed statistically significant differences in some specific muscle groups, but with no clinical significance. Conclusion: Both interventions affected flexibility in a statistically similar way, but had a different impact on the curvatures of the spine. Isostretching training clinically changed the flexibility of healthy individuals, with evidence that more intense or longer workouts can affect muscle strength