The effects of muscle stretching and shortening on isometric forces on the descending limb of the force–length relationship

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of stretching and shortening on the isometric forces at different lengths on the descending limb of the force–length relationship. Cat soleus ( N=10) was stretched and shortened by various amounts on the descending limb of the force–length relationship, and the steady-state forces following these dynamic contractions were compared to the isometric forces at the corresponding muscle lengths. We found a shift of the force–length relationship to greater force values following muscle stretching, and to smaller force values following muscle shortening. Shifts in both directions critically depended on the magnitude of stretching/shortening and the final muscle length. We confirm recent findings that the steady-state isometric force following some stretch conditions clearly exceeded the maximal isometric forces at optimum muscle length, and that force enhancement was associated with an increase in the passive force, i.e., a passive force enhancement. When the passive force enhancement was subtracted from the total force enhancement, forces following stretch were always equal to or smaller than the isometric force at optimum muscle length. Together, these findings led to the conclusions: (a) that force enhancement is composed of an “active and a “passive” component; (b) that the “passive” component of force enhancement allows for forces greater than the maximal isometric forces at the muscle's optimum length; and (c) that force enhancement and force depression are critically affected by muscle length and stretch/shortening amplitude.