The stretch-shortening cycle effect is not associated with cortical or spinal excitability modulations

It is unclear whether cortical and spinal excitability modulations contribute to enhanced SSC performance. Therefore, this study investigated cortical and spinal excitability modulations during and following shortening of stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) contractions compared with pure shortening (SHO) contractions. Participants (N = 18) performed submaximal voluntary plantar flexion contractions while prone on the dynamometer bench. The right foot was strapped onto the dynamometer’s footplate attachment and the resultant ankle joint torque and crank arm angle were recorded. Cortical and spinal excitability modulations of the soleus muscle were analyzed by eliciting compound muscle actional potentials via electrical nerve stimulation, cervicomedullary motor-evoked potentials (CMEPs) via electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, and motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) via magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex. Mean torque following stretch was significantly increased by 7±3% ( p =0.029) compared with the fixed-end reference (REF) contraction and mean torque during shortening of SSC compared with SHO was significantly increased by 12±24% ( p =0.046). Mean steady-state torque was significantly lower by 13±3% ( p =0.006) and 9±12% ( p =0.011) following SSC compared with REF and SHO, respectively. Mean steady-state torque was not significantly lower following SHO compared with REF (7±8%, p=0.456). CMEPs and MEPs were also not significantly different during shortening of SSC compared with SHO ( p ≥0.885) or during the steady state of SSC, SHO, and REF ( p ≥0.727). Therefore, our results indicate that SSC performance was not associated with cortical or spinal excitability modulations during or after shortening, but rather driven by mechanical mechanisms triggered during active stretch.