Changing the pattern of the back-muscle flexion–relaxation phenomenon through flexibility training in relatively inflexible young men

Abstract

Although several studies have investigated the back-muscle flexion–relaxation phenomenon (FRP), the effect of individual flexibility on the FRP has been discussed infrequently, with very limited data on the influence of flexibility training on the FRP. This study thus examined the effect of flexibility training on the change of back-muscle FRP pattern in relatively inflexible young men. We collected and analyzed the valid data from 20 male participants (10 each with high and low flexibility included in the control and trained groups, respectively) when flexing their trunks at seven trunk flexion positions (0°–90°, in increments of 15°); their erector spinae and hamstring activation, pelvic tilt, and lumbosacral angle were then recorded. After 7 weeks of flexibility training for the low-flexibility group, no difference in flexibility was discovered between this group and the control (originally high-flexibility) group. The trunk flexion experiment was then repeated. The results showed that before the training stage, the low-flexibility group had lower erector spinae and higher hamstring activation, a larger pelvic tilt, and a smaller lumbosacral angle. By contrast, after training, the erector spinae and hamstring activation, pelvic tilt, and lumbosacral angle were significantly changed, and no intergroup differences were observed in FRP patterns. The study results suggest that flexibility training changes lumbopelvic movement and thereby reduces the degree of the back-muscle FRP when trunk flexion is performed.