Stretching is often included as part of a warm-up procedure for basketball activity. However, the efficacy of stretching with respect to sport performance has come into question. We determined the effects of 4 different warm-up protocols followed by 20 minutes of basketball activity on flexibility and vertical jump height. Subjects participated in 6 weeks (2 times per week) of warm-up and baske...

Stretching before performance is a common practice among athletes in hopes of increasing performance and reducing the risk of injury. However, cumulative results indicate a negative impact of static stretching and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) on performance; thus, there is a need for evaluating other stretching strategies for effective warm-up. The purpose of this study was t...

We demonstrate that doubly-resonant coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering can provide enhanced and highly specific contrast for molecules containing unique Raman-active small molecular groups. This combination provides contrast for molecules that can otherwise be difficult to discriminate by Raman spectroscopy. Here, human monocytes were incubated with either deuterated oleic acid or 17-octadec...

Several studies utilizing adult subjects have indicated that static stretching may reduce subsequent strength and power production, possibly for as long as an hour following the stretch. This observation has not been evaluated in children, nor in athletes accustomed to performing static stretches during strength/ power type training sessions. The purpose of this investigation was to determine i...

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to examine whether plantar flexor static stretching and dynamic stretching using an Aero-Step results in changes in foot pressure during gait in healthy adults. [Subjects] Eighteen normal adults were randomly allocated to either a dynamic stretching using an Aero-Step group (DSUAS) group (n = 8) or a static stretching (SS) group (n = 10). [Methods] The DSUAS ...

Int J Exerc Sci 3(4) : 214-224, 2010. This study examined the effects of single set dynamic and static stretching on vertical jump height and hip and knee range of motion in a sample of college age recreational males. Forty-two healthy, physically active males (aged 18-24) voluntarily participated in this investigation and were randomly assigned to one of three groups (1 set of 20 seconds dynam...

Background and Aims: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an essential role in molecular imaging by delivering the contrast agent into targeted cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of magnetic nanoparticles containing iron oxide and silver (Fe3O4@Ag core-shell nanoprobe) as a contrast agent for the detection of ovarian cancer cell line ovcar-3. Materials and Methods: Co-preci...

While previous studies have shown that muscle stretching suppresses monosynaptic spinal reflex excitability in stretched muscles, its effects on non-stretched muscles is still largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of muscle stretching on monosynaptic spinal reflex in non-stretched muscles. Ten healthy male subjects participated in this study. Muscle stretching of...