What is Muscle Elasticity?
Muscle elasticity refers to the ability of muscle fibers to return to their normal length after being stretched or shortened. This is crucial for their optimal functioning during everyday activities and physical training, allowing for safer training, improved force production, and the ability to leverage the stretch reflex for optimal athletic performance.
Why is Muscle Elasticity Important?
Elasticity is crucial for the optimal functioning of the muscles. It plays a vital role in injury prevention, allowing muscles to handle more physical stress.
When muscle fibers can stretch to a greater extent and return to their normal length, there is also a lower risk of muscle strain or tear. In contrast, muscle stiffness is considered a risk factor for injury in athletes, particularly those engaging in high-intensity activity. As noted in a 2020 paper by Skrendo et al.:
“Muscle stiffness is thought to be one of the risk factors associated with sports injuries and is less common in females than in males.”
According to the same paper, muscle elasticity may also play an important role in athletic performance, allowing competitors to safely and freely move through extended ranges of motion.
However, muscle stiffness (not elasticity) could have a favorable impact on explosive strength. As noted in the study:
“According to the majority of research on biomechanical properties of muscle, higher stiffness is favorable for fast stretch-shortening cycle activities and activities characterized by high movement velocity. Stiffness may also have significant implications in force production within muscles.”
What Factors Affect It?
Genetics and sex appear to play the most significant roles in muscle properties. Research shows that higher muscle stiffness is more common in men than women, and data suggests that ethnic variations also exist.
One plausible explanation is that higher estrogen levels in women result in suppressed collagen production (to a degree), leading to lower muscle stiffness. On that note, estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) gene variations may also influence muscle elasticity.
Variations in the TTN gene also appear to influence muscle elasticity. The TTN gene encodes the titin protein (the third most abundant protein in skeletal muscle), which is crucial for elasticity.
Researchers suggest that studying the TTN gene may show promise in understanding muscle elastic properties in athletes.
Finally, aging is also linked with improved muscle elasticity.
FAQ
1. Is there a way to influence muscle elasticity?
Adequate hydration and a high enough magnesium intake appear to be the only two reliable ways to improve muscle elastic properties. Massages, foam rolling, and static stretching may temporarily reduce muscle stiffness.
2. Can overtraining affect muscle elasticity?
Overtraining can reduce elasticity by promoting muscle soreness, causing excessive damage to fibers, and leading to a heightened stress response from the nervous system. This keeps the muscles in a constant state of slight tension.
3. How is muscle elasticity different from flexibility?
Muscle elasticity is the ability of fibers to return to their normal length after being shortened or stretched. In contrast, flexibility measures a joint’s ability to move through a full range of motion, which depends on muscle and connective tissue properties.
