Figure 6. Temporal evolution of muscle stretch , muscle stress , serial sarcomere number , and sarcomere length in chronically stretched skeletal muscle.

Single-step stretching (dashed lines) induces a drastic change in stretch resulting in a pronounced overstress and sarcomere lengthening. Multiple-step stretching (solid lines) induces a gradual change in stretch inducing a moderate overstress and sarcomere lengthening. Muscle stress and sarcomere length stay within their physiological regimes (gray box).