A research assistant, Dr. Atsuki Fukutani with cooperation of a graduate student, Jun Misaki and Prof. Tadao Isaka published an original article in Frontiers in Physiology. In this study, we confirmed that force generating capability of muscle increases briefly by active stretch in human plantar flexion. Because this muscle characteristic would contribute to the force enhancement by stretch-shortening cycle which is frequently used in sport movement, better understanding of this phenomenon would lead to improvement of sports performance.

Fukutani A, Misaki J, Isaka T. (2017). Influence of joint angle on residual force enhancement in human plantar flexors. Front. Physiol. 8:234. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00234.