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The Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Guide - Uniformed Services ...

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perform a martial arts kick. Static or passive flexibility refers to the maximal range ofmotion of a joint during passive movement induced by an external source (e.g., a partner,equipment, gravity). <strong>The</strong> range of static flexibility is always greater than that of dynamicflexibility.<strong>The</strong> Stretch Reflex and theLengthening Reaction<strong>The</strong> stretch reflex and the lengthening reaction are joint-protective mechanisms inwhich sensory organs, located in the muscles and tendons surrounding a joint, are activatedwhen muscles are stretched. As seen in Figure 7-1, the two sensory organs involved inmonitoring muscle tightness are the muscle spindle cells and golgi tendon organs (GTOs).Figure 7-1. Graphical Representations of MuscleSpindles and Golgi Tendon OrgansSensory NeuronsInhibitory NeuronGolgi Tendon Organ(GTO)Muscle Spindle Cell<strong>The</strong> stretch reflex involves muscle spindles which lie parallel to the muscle fiber.<strong>The</strong>se spindles are very sensitive to changes in muscle length. When the muscle stretches,muscle spindles send signals to the spinal cord, which in turn, sends signals to the muscletelling it to contract in order to protect the muscle from potential tissue damage. <strong>The</strong> classicexample of the stretch reflex occurs when a physician taps a patient just below the kneecap.<strong>The</strong> <strong>Navy</strong> <strong>SEAL</strong> <strong>Physical</strong> <strong>Fitness</strong> <strong>Guide</strong> 111

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