"What Happens When You Stretch" Reading Notes

"What Happens When You Stretch", by Bradford D. Appleton, 3/13/16


Quotes:

1) "This basic function of the golgi tendon organ helps to protect the muscles, tendons, and ligaments from injury. The lengthening reaction is possible only because the signaling of golgi tendon organ to the spinal cord is powerful enough to overcome the signaling of the muscle spindles telling the muscle to contract."

I chose this quote because I though it was interesting to figure out the function of the golgi tendon organ and that it can overcome other signals in the nervous system. I also chose this quote because I believe it is important to understand the reason behind why we can extend our limbs and why our muscles, ligaments, and tendons do not wear down faster than they do.

2) "It is easier to stretch, or lengthen, a muscle when it is not trying to contract."

This quote serves to remind the reader of a basic principle that muscles generally must follow the motions that they were signaled to do through before other motions can occur. It also makes the reader appreciate the golgi tendon (mentioned in the first quote) even more since it is powerful enough to overcome the signaling of spindles that tell muscles to contract.

3) "The more sudden the change in muscle length, the stronger the muscle contractions will be (plyometric, or "jump", training is based on this fact). This basic function of the muscle spindle helps to maintain muscle tone and to protect the body from injury."

I found it fascinating to hear about a part of the cause and effect chain that occurs when the muscle moves and how it effects the motion of the body. This quote also helps inform the reader about the flexing motion a muscle can produce in contrast to the first quote above.

Relate & Review:

When stretching, there are many types of proprioceptors that are used by the muscles. Proprioceptors help with the perception of one's own body position and movement; they can detect changes in physical displacement, tension, or force within the body. Intrafusal muscle fibers, or muscle spindles are the primary proprioceptors in the muscle. Another proprioceptor is the golgi tendon organ. It helps record the rate of tension in the muscles and triggers the lengthening reaction which prevents muscles from contracting. In the stretch reflex, the muscle spindles record the change in length of the muscles while they're being stretched, and then they try to resist the change in muscle length by trying to contract. If you hold a stretch for a long period of time, then the muscle spindles will gradually become accustomed to the new length and reduce their signaling.