What happens when you stretch?

What Happens When You Stretch

Author: NA

Relate and Review

Everytime you stretch a muscle, it starts with  the sacromeres. Within each individual sacromere, the myosin and actin are pulling further apart until they can no longer elongate, then the tension moves onto connective tissue. When stretching it is harder to get full effects of stretching the muscle if it is contracting, and so to combat this for example, if you are stretching the calf, you want to contract the antagonists, which would be the shins, by flexing the foot. But by flexing the foot, this also works the hamstring, and so to relax the hamstring you flex the quadriceps. To reach the end goal of stretching your calf, you would have to flex the foot and contract the quads by keeping the leg straight. So much of movement is related to stretching that flexibility is a pretty big deal, and that related to posture. Bent over backs from working at a desk at day over time not only builds bad posture obviously, but also builds muscle tightness. The body becomes stiff and loses important range of motion. Although this is just one connection, anatomy and physiology is really about the whole body itself, and almost everything is relevant to many other parts or functions.


inspiring quotes/ phrases

1.(the lengthening reaction) is powerful enough to overcome the signaling of the muscle spindles telling the muscle to contract.

That stuck with me because I'm also in ap bio and we learned about cell signalling. Our bodies have crazy functions at the molecular level that are incredibly specific, and hard to learn.

2. (stretching/ realignment) is what helps to rehabilitate scarred tissue back to health.


I've been injured so many times in the leg, I've had dreams about getting prosthetics. I've been through the process a few times now of getting equal range of motion on both legs before strengthening. It's incredibly frustrating and slow. It has truly taught me the patience is key.

3. (flexing muscles with little to no contraction) provides the opportunity for the greatest gains in flexibility, it also provides the greatest risk of injury if used improperly.


I am flexible and I had the flexibility to do the splits both ways except down the middle. I no wonder after coming back from injury if I even desire to be overly flexible.