A research assistant, Dr. Atsuki Fukutani who collaborated with a graduate student, Jun Misaki and Prof. Tadao Isaka published an original article in SpringerPlus. This study revealed that muscle fascicle length changes did not correspond with joint angle changes. The muscle fascicle shortened during the early phase of eccentric contraction (judging from joint angle changes) when preactivation was not conducted. This finding would contribute to the better understanding of the mechanism of force production during dynamic movements such as running and jumping.

Fukutani A, Misaki J, Isaka T. (2016). Influence of preactivation on fascicle behavior during eccentric contraction. SpringerPlus. 5:760. doi: 10.1186/s40064-016-2550-5.