The Scientist
Level 3 Valued Member
This is for anyone interested, but I would be most interested in hearing from anyone in the Original Strength or FMS crowd. I have been seeing more and more about a phenomenon termed "reflexive stability" around here, and I would like to know if someone can further define the physiological mechanism behind what is being described. As I understand it, RS is being described as:
" – your body’s subconscious ability to anticipate movement before it actually moves and prepare the joints and muscles involved in a particular movement to execute the movement."
The problem that I have with this is that reflexes are clearly defined phenomena. They are involuntary and predictable responses to stimuli. In the case of the proposed "reflexive stability", what exactly is the stimulus? Is it being proposed that visual input is the stimulus? Is it proprioceptive input from stretch or golgi tendon reflexes in the surrounding musculature? This would seem to negate the "anticipate movement before it actually moves" part of RS.
To me, it sounds like the "anticipate movement before it actually moves" part suggests that what they are actually attempting to describe is motor learning and patterning. This is a critically important thing for movement, but it really is not a reflex at all.
" – your body’s subconscious ability to anticipate movement before it actually moves and prepare the joints and muscles involved in a particular movement to execute the movement."
The problem that I have with this is that reflexes are clearly defined phenomena. They are involuntary and predictable responses to stimuli. In the case of the proposed "reflexive stability", what exactly is the stimulus? Is it being proposed that visual input is the stimulus? Is it proprioceptive input from stretch or golgi tendon reflexes in the surrounding musculature? This would seem to negate the "anticipate movement before it actually moves" part of RS.
To me, it sounds like the "anticipate movement before it actually moves" part suggests that what they are actually attempting to describe is motor learning and patterning. This is a critically important thing for movement, but it really is not a reflex at all.