“ These esults reveal five important findings. First, these results show that normal ligaments exhibited creep behaviour with relative insensitivity to creep test stress at stresses in the toe-region of the stress-strain curve. Using total ligament cross-sectional area to calculate stress, a threefold increase in stress had minimal effects on creep behaviour: the increase in modulus over 30 cycles was similar from 4.1 to 14 MPa and the static creep strain was similar over these same stresses.
Static creep strain and increase in cyclic modulus were significantly larger at a linear-region stress, 28 MPa. This insensitivity to increased creep stress is atypical of viscoelastic materials. For linear viscoelastic materials, one expects that if the creep test stress was doubled, the creep strain would double (constant ratio between stress and strain at a given time), or, for non-linear viscoelastic materials, the creep strain would increase with each increase in stress. Hence, ligaments have an elegant structural response that minimizes creep at toe-region stresses. “
Text above is taken from the discussion of the study you posted and referred.
It summaries conclusively what my personal finding already indicate.
We are operating still at the transitional region at the kneepoint of the initial elastic slope of the toe region and the secondary linear region.
Not yet even touching the linear (proportional ) slope.
If we were to increase loads at some point we would reach above the 14 MPa point shown in the study, and enter the linear region where the 28 MPa stress showed to indicate modulus obeying Hooke´s law if not ruptured.
Stress levels(load) should of course to be modulated in to environment we are operating.
Originally Posted by Tutt
As I look at all the studies as well as the data posted by you and other members, I become increasingly convinced of my previous assertions. Your protocol moves you through the toe and non-linear transition region.
If you were to continue increasing in load without stress relaxation or cyclical stretch, you would start to progress up the linear portion as the loads got heavier, but the load would be increasing at such a drastic rate that you would suffer injury before realizing dramatic short term extension.
Because you utilize a cyclical stress relaxation protocol over a 30 day period, a few things can happen. First, with each strain cycle, the toe region extends and the transition region becomes easier to progress through.
The protocol has the effect of shifting and pivoting the linear region and making increased strains possible without increased load. IMO, this is only possible because you’ve exceeded the proportionality limit so each successive stress is able to achieve increased strain at static load. Apparently at a cumulative strain of about 6%, the elastic limit is fully reached and going further would begin to damage the underlying structure.
Tutt was saying the same about blasting through transition from toe- region to linear range of his posts:
What I can´t sign is the assumption we have exceeded the proportional limit, which IMO impossible as we haven´t even reached the proportional slope working just at the start point of the final linear region. If it is the case proportional limit known with linearly behaving elastic tissues to be located with these un-linearly behaving tissues at the point initial collagen recruitment has completed , then we can say it is reached , other wise I would not accept it easily.
The behavior of the un-linear biological tissues with stretching penis is clearly visible. Toe region is really long, showing linear behavior at physiological range.
Conditioning stretch operating at this level.
Transitional region is where the tissues stiffen due the recruitment of the collagen fibrils resist for stretching further.
With the heated stretch we are moving the kneepoint further and allowing additional elongation before stiffening happens.
With manual cyclic stretching we push further reaching the start of the linear slope , at which point the visco elastic tissue stiffens no more.
From there forwards the behavior is linear again.
If we emulate my observations to this study then the 2kg, 3kg 6kg, and 9kg stretches all fit in the range of 4.1MPa,7.1MPa and 14MPa showed in the ligament study.
Each of them not showing any significant difference in strain.
If I was to increase loads maybe to 18kg, we could see same results 28 MPa stress indicated in the study.
Regarding the another study you referred I am more convinced that we are operating at the 15% UTS level. Any results achieved above 30% UTS in any studies does not concern us really.
I don´t have a clue which kind size of fibrils carry the load or interest in which are the mechanics involved at the transitional region.
And I have no idea if there a fibrils broken at this level at all, or if we are just staring to elongate them once they are recruited and aligned.
What interests me is that is it really like it seems to be that , we don´t need to enter the linear slope at all.
That would explain the wide range of different loads and exercise forms producing gains with different individuals. That is because at the best each one of the PE forms can reach the transitional region if only briefly but still reaching it.
If we could conclude this with more datapoints gathered, not just me but at least few other gainers as well. Putting them on one data set would be a revelation.
