Vascular Function Improvements After Chronic Passive Stretching

PSBil and PSMono underwent 12 weeks of PS training, 3 sessions per week (36 sessions in total). In PSBil, each session lasted 40 min and included two maneuvers for both the knee extensor and plantar flexor muscles with the following protocol: 45 s elongation and 15 s recovery in the resting position, all the cycle repeated for five times 7. In PSMono, exercises were performed only on the right limb and each session had a duration of 20 min. Ctrl did not underwent any PS exercise throughout the study. To promote participants' compliance, daily classes were held at different day time (morning and afternoon) at the University Sports Centre gym. Each class was supervised by an expert operator, which monitored the attendance, the correct exercise execution and the intensity exerted during the exercise (80% of the point of discomfort). The participants not attending at least the 80% of classes were excluded from the study, and a new participant was recruited to substitute the drop out.