Acute one-legged intermittent static stretching reduces arterial stiffness only in the stretched leg. Continuous high shear stress (e.g., shear rate) on endothelial cells induces vasodilation with increased endothelial-derived relaxation factor. Our recent study showed that shear rate and blood flow in the posterior tibial artery of the stretched leg was increased after acute passive one-legged calf intermittent stretching. Thus, the static stretching increases shear rate after stretching and may consequently decreases arterial stiffness. However, it remains unclear whether changes in central and peripheral circulation are related to a mechanism of static stretching-induced decrease in arterial stiffness. PURPOSE: This study aimed to clarify the time-course of changes in central and peripheral circulation on the acute static stretching-induced increase in shear rate. METHODS: The changes in cardiac output as central hemodynamics and blood flow and shear rate in the posterior tibial artery as peripheral hemodynamics by using echocardiography and doppler ultrasound, and blood volume in the calf muscle as peripheral hemodynamics by using near-infrared spectrophotometer were measured during recovery (0-60s) from a single bout of one-legged passive calf stretching (0-30s) in 12 healthy young men (22.8 ± 1.1 years). Blood pressure was measured before and after stretching session. RESULTS: The stretched leg’s blood flow and shear rate in posterior tibial artery significantly increased from 0 to 10th s after stretching (each P < 0.05). The muscle blood volume in the stretched leg significantly reduced during stretching, and then significantly increased during the recovery period after stretching (each P < 0.05); however, blood pressure and cardiac output remained unchanged during stretching and recovery. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that mild ischemia-reperfusion was caused mechanically by the stretching calf muscles rather than by central hemodynamics, and consequently, it may have induced the increases in blood flow and shear rate in the posterior tibial artery of the stretched leg.