Jits Magazine segment with Dr. Spina on the importance of shoulder mobility for Jiu Jitsu players

When looking at the research as a whole, we have every reason to work with the premise that any induced load/force on tissues of all types (especially on the collective ‘connective tissues’ which all originate from the same pre-genitor cell) will induce changes such that the tissues will be better able to handle, or ‘accept’ the imposed loads. This concept is of course subject to certain ‘rules’ of load application…for example: 1. Load imparted must be at a level that does not exceed the particular tissues load bearing capacity so as not to induce injury – 2. Loads imparted (which I like to think of as communicated ‘messages’) must be received over prolonged periods in both the frequency, as well as time-span of individual ‘messages.’ – 3. The directionality of the load/force must be such that they ‘blastic cells’ are able to create load bearing alterations to accommodate for the line of force application. To answer your question directly, we can conclude, using sensical extrapolation from a variety of research streams, that angle specific load application will effectively induce changes at the cellular level (which themselves are the result of action at the sub-cellular level – including alterations of RNA activity and protein production) that will produce stronger tissues which are more capable of dealing with angle/direction specific loads. It would seem that force/load/messages need not be contractile in nature, and that passive force application can also induce favourable changes. An example of this is ‘Stretch Induced Hypertrophy’ in muscle tissue as a result of passive stretching alone.

The ‘magic’ rule seems to be that a force (which I deem the ‘language of cells’) alone provides the necessary stimulus for plastic tissue changes. However, the resultant changes themselves depend on alteration of the parameters of said force application (ie. amount, direction, frequency, angle, speed, etc.)

This gets even more interesting when we look at the force generated by ‘active,’ contractile tissue (for example isometric loads) and how they influence the tissues that are commonly, yet incorrectly, considered to be ‘passive’ tissues such as ligaments, capsules, etc., in light of work by authors such as Van der wal, who redefine articular anatomy by describing a continuity of tissue rather than distinct separation. In this view, all tissues, including those traditionally thought of as ‘active’ and those thought of as ‘passive,’ are subject to changes under imposed forces simultaneously….but this is another topic altogether.