Effect of stretching after exercise on serum cretine kinase of men and women

Abstract

The stretching exercise is usually used as a prophylactic way against damage in muscle induced by exercise. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of stretching after an resisted exercise in the serum concentration of creatine kinase, CK, in healthy subjects. Thirty six subjects, 18 men and 18 women were random into two groups. Control (C) and Stretching (A). The concentration of CK was measured pre-stretching and pos-stretching for the lower limbs. Immediately after the exercise, the group A participants have performed the active stretching, and then other three blood collection were taken with a break of 24 hours between them. Group A showed an increase in CK concentration 24 hours after exercise and group A men’s CK concentration was different compared to the pre-stretching and in confrontation to the 24 hours measure of control group. The same behavior was not been observed in women CK levels in both groups. The exercise performed was not enough to cause micro lesions in musculoskeletal tissue, except in group A, which is an indicative that stretching caused more muscle injuries. Stretching after resisted exercise demonstrated an induced effect of micro traumas in muscle tissue and that men were more likely to it.