What Happens When You Stretch?

"Just as the total strength of a contracting muscle is a result of the number of fibers contracting, the total length of a stretched muscle is a result of the number of fibers stretched- the more fibers stretched, the more length developed by the muscle for a given stretch."

When the muscle is stretched, the fibers can either lengthen or remain at a rest. The current length of the muscle depends on the the number of stretched fibers within it. As the quote says the more fibers that are stretched in the muscle, the more length is developed by the muscle for a specific stretch.

"The nerve endings that relay all the information about the musculoskeletal system to the central nerve system are called proprioceptors. Proprioceptors are the source of all proprioception: the perception of one's own body position and movement."

I chose this quote because I found it interesting that the nerve endings that relay information about the muscular system to the nervous system also perceive one's own body movements. These proprioceptors are found in all nerve endings of joints, muscles, and tendons. These nerve endings also detect the changes in movement or position as well as changes in tension or force.

"The muscle spindle records the change in length and sends signals to the spine which convey this information. This triggers the stretch reflex which attempts to resist the change in muscle length by causing the stretched muscle to contract. The more sudden the change in muscle length, the stronger the muscle contractions will be. "

The main reason that a stretch should be held for a extended period of time is because the muscle spindle has to become accustomed to the new length and reduce its signaling. Even though the more sudden change in muscle length will create a muscle contraction, an individual can train their stretch receptors to allow for the greater lengthening of muscles.

In this reading, it described the many things that occur when an individual is stretching a certain muscle. When a muscle is being stretched, it triggers the stretch reflex, which resists the change in the muscles length by causing the muscle itself to contract. The more sudden this change is, the more contraction of the muscle will occur. Stretches are held for an extended period of time, the muscle spindle becomes accustomed to the new length and this reduces its signaling. This signaling is caused by prioprioceptors, which are nerve endings that relay information about the muscular system to the central nervous system, and their main job is to detect any changes in movement or position of "tension, or force, within the body". Continually stretching out of muscles can allow your receptors to endure the greater lengthening.