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8/17/2019 Against Stretching

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T h e A r g u m e n t A g a i n s t S t a t i c S t r e t c h i n g

B e f o r e S p o r t a n d P h y s i c a l A c t i v i t y

MARK S. KOVACS, MEd, CSCS, USATF II • University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

KEY POINTS

JTreexercise static stretching has been used

by coaches and athletes for decades in the

hope of improving performance and prevent-

ing injuries. The scientific literature of the

1980s and 1990s suggested that preexercise

static stretching was a good addition to ath-

letes' warm-up before initiation of physical

activity.''^ This article reviews the current

literature and provides information to pro-

pose a valid argument

against the widely held

belief that slow static

stretching before sport

and physical activity is

beneficial.

S t a t i c s t r e t c h i n g h a s b e e n u s e d

a s

a

w a r m - u p a c t i v i t y f o r d e c a d e s , w i t h o u t a n y

c r e d i b l e r e s e a r c h t o s u p p o r t i t s b e n e f i t s f o r

p e r f o r m a n c e o r i n j u r y p r e v e n t i o n .

S t a t i c s t r e t c h i n g b e f o r e a c t i v i t y r e d u c e s

p e r fo r m a n c e i n s t r e n g t h , s p e e d , a n d p o w e r

a c t i v i t i e s .

S t a t i c s t r e t c h i n g b e f o r e a c t i v i t y d o e s n o t

a p p e a r t o r e d u c e i n j u r y .

K e y w o r d s : f l e x i b i l i t y , p e r f o r m a n c e , r a n g e

o f m o t io n , w a r m - u p

Performance

Despite early evidence

that s tatic stretching

before activity did not

improve performance,'

it remains a common

element of warm-up

routines for physical

activity. Contrary to the

widely held belief that static stretching

improves physical performance, numerous

studies have demonstrated that traditional

static stretching actually decreases perfor-

mance in activities that require strength,

speed, and power.^'' ' Depth-jump perfor-

mance, a good indicator of power output,

has been shown to be significantly reduced

after static stretch ing, •'' as has vertical-jump

heig ht.'^' Studies of strength and power

have demonstrated performance decreases

of as much as

30%.'' '^' ' ' '

Knee-flexion

-extension maximal performance (1-R

me asured 10 min after static stretching w

reduced by 7 .3% and 8.1 %, respectiv

Avela et al.'^ and Fov^/les et al.' found re

tions in maximal isometric plantar-flex

torque abou t the ankle joint after the pla

flexors were passively stretched (23.2

2 8 , respectively).

The deficit in performance after s

stretching might depend on the type

stretching and mode of activity that

lows the stretching routine. The deficit

been shown to last approximately 60

after completion of the stretching rou

and might be a result of changes in re

sensitivity, muscle/tendon stiffness, or

romuscular activation.'•'̂ •'̂ •'* The positiv

negative effect on performance after s

stretching might depend on the speed

movement required by the activity In

study, a preactivity static-stretching rou

had no effect on either the speed or

accuracy of an explosive tennis serve,'

preactivity stretching might not decr

performance of high-speed or accur

related movements. Another study d

onstrated that significant reductions

isokinetic strength were only evident at

velocities (< 2.62 radian/s).^

A

recent s

found, however, that static stretching sig

cantly reduced sprinting performance

a 20-m distance.' The results of num e

studies have demonstrated that preac

ity static stretching reduces performa

in activities requiring strength, speed,

D 2 0 0 6 H u m a n K in e ti cs

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ATHLETIC THERAPY TO


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Injury Prevention

addition to the widespread misconception that pre-

a second

as an

important preactivity ritual

is

it reduces the likelihood of subsequent

on the idea that a tight

scle-te ndo n unit is less extensible without stretch-

its tolerance for elongation

has resulted in a

of injury,'̂ '̂ ^

A study of lower limb injuries amo ng 1,538 m ale

ct on injury ra tes after a 12-week stretching

ocol,^ A 2001 system atic review of experimen-

and quasi-experimental studies pertaining to the

of

lower limb running injuries analyzed

of five studies, with 1,944 par

in stretching-intervention groups and 3,159

in

control groups,

and

reported that

no

is available to support tbe notion tha t

ty stretching exercises are effective In prevent-

Some experimental studies have shown a reduction

njury rates when preactivity stretching was included

A study of high school football

a

reduction in

uries amo ng players who participated in

a

halftime

ho

did

not participate

in

such

a

routine,̂ A limita-

in the

applicability

of tbe

finding

of

this study

a lack of distinction between the effect of general

tbe effect of tbe static-

A

retrospective case-control study

of

sprinters who

bad

never experienced ham-

coaches and athletic trainers who assume that

of

hamstring flexibility

the injuries, Tbe injury might have been the

use of the hamstring weakness and lack of hamstring

A lthough tbe results of a few studies have suggested

k between preactivity stretching and reduced injury

tbe majority of the relevant research evidence

fails

to

support

tbe

concept,* Tbe etiologies

of

most

sports injuries involve multiple complex factors. Flex-

ibility is one

of

numerous factors that can affect injury

susceptibility. Both fatigue^* and volume of activity

have been suggested as predisposing factors for muscle

injury. ore research is needed to identify tbe underlying

causes of exercise-induced muscle and tendon injuries,

from which we can develop guidelines for training and

competition to reduce the likelihood of injury.

Prac tica l pp lications a nd Sugg estions

The existing research literature collectively indicates

tbat static stretching witbin an bour before practice

or competition d oes not improve siports performance,

nor does

it

appear

to

reduce

tbe

risk

of

injury. Poor

muscle strength and limited joint range of motion,

however, might reduce performance and increase the

risk

of

injury,^® Clearly, athletic trainers should

pre

scribe static-stretching routines for som e a thletes, but

stretching before sport practice sessions and competi-

tive events is not advisable,

A

better time for athletes

to perform static stretcbing is after sports activity^'' or

in tbe evenings. Performing stretcbing activities at the

en d

of

workouts

or

after practice sessions provides

improvements

in

range

of

motion similar

to

those

from performing them a t otber times,''° Other warm-up

activities, including general musck;-warming exercises

and dynamic (i,e,, active) range-of-motion exercises,

might be m ost beneficial in improving pbysical perfor-

mance,' ' ^ Although adequate research evidence is

not yet available

to

definitively recommend dynamic

Specific

Dynamic

Warm up

10 minutes building

from light to

explosive

movements

TR INING COMPETITION

CTIVITY

Generai

Cooi down

5-10 minutes slow

Evening

Static

Stretching

Session

Generai

Warm up

* 3-5 minutes slow

S ta t i c

10-20 minutes on s t r e t c h i n g

speafic musdiis

used during actii/lty

15-60

minutes on ail

muscle

groups

depending

on sport and

level of

athlete)

Figure Daily stretching routine.

'18, 19, 22, 24, 25, 27-29, 34, 35,

TIC THERAPY TODAY

MAY 2006


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range-of-motion warm-up exercises, significantly faster

20-m sprint performance after dynamic range of

motion warm-up has been reported,^ Athletes might

benefit from dynamic warm-up exercises before

activity, with traditional static-stretching exercises

performed at the conclusion of physical activity, I

eferen es

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physical performance and prevention of sports related injuries.

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ark ovacs is a doctoral student in human performance at th

versity of Alabama and a Level II sprints coach with USA Track

Field, His research is focused on optimizing human performanc

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