Stretching Methodoligies

According to just about everyone that does physical training, stretching is an integral part of any regimen. We tend to think of it as an irreplaceable muscle lengthening process that aids in the smooth, efficient transitioning from concentric to eccentric and back to concentric, etc. But in reality, it is much more than that. 

The fact of the matter is that there are many ways to look at stretching, many techniques one can apply, and again as many reasons for applying these techniques. 

Stretching techniques include:

• Dynamic
• Static
• Ballistic
• PNF (Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation)
• Passive
• Active stretching                                                                     

Example:

Dynamic Stretches are employed prior to training to prepare your muscles for the task ahead. An example of the benefits of Dynamic Stretching, for instance, would be to stimulate reflex in your tendons and muscles, and can also help your body recognize, through movement, it’s position in space rather than relying purely on visual cues. Prior to exercise, static stretching can be effective when paired with light activity that gets the heart pumping.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Static Stretches, conversely, are used post workout to reduce risk of injury. Then involve holding a stretch in a comfortable position for a period of time, typically between 10 and 30 seconds. This form of stretching is most beneficial after exercise.                  

***It must be noted that on both sides of this “stretching equation” blood flow to the muscles is increased…On the Dynamic side, energy is being provided through this increased blood flow and on the Static side recuperative energy is being supplied via this same infrastructure.                                                                                

However, there are two competing viewpoints as to the viability and/or necessity for stretching regarding athletic performance and or injury prevention.

Does Stretching Before Exercise Affect Your Performance?

According to Dr. Ian Shrier, a sports medicine clinician and researcher and Associate Professor at the Department of Family Medicine, at Montreal’s McGill University, “Research suggests that stretching before exercise makes your muscles weaker and slower, even though you might feel looser. For most performances, this would be detrimental.”

Does stretching before exercising reduce the risk of injury?

The evidence strongly suggests that pre-exercise stretching does not reduce the risk of injury –  Professor Rob Herbert, Senior Principal Researcher Fellow with Neuroscience Research Australia, took part in the 3 largest randomised trials on the effects of stretching. They all concluded that stretching had little or no beneficial effect on reduction in injury risk.

Summary

Finally, I would like to add my $.02 to this article. As a competitive powerlifter for over 20 years (and with a reasonably successful resume) we had the opportunity to observe and experiment with many different theories and protocols in our training. The one thing I can say confidently is that it wasn’t until after we reduced (pretty much eliminated) our stretching that the big gains began to manifest themselves. 

It just made sense. Take a rubber band, for instance. If you hold the rubber band in the stretched position for any length of time it will begin to lose its elasticity. This greater the stretch and/or tension and the faster the rubber band will become useless. This is how your muscles will eventually respond in a similar circumstance. 

In powerlifting, at least in my humble opinion, the tensile strength of muscle tissue can be seriously compromised in the presence of excessive stretching and that is/was not acceptable. We even went so far as to limit the warm-ups to conserve our ATP reserves. Did we worry about the potential for injury in the absence of stretching and/or warm-ups? Yeah, the potential for disaster did cross our minds…But in the whole time we practiced this methodology I can’t remember one injury we experienced during the course of a meet. Hell, we had more people hurt playing softball or basketball during the off season than we ever did powerlifting. 

To wrap it up, this practice may not be effective in every sport or hobby and I am in no way saying that no one anywhere, ever, should ban it from their life. As an example I would not dream of practicing Tai Chi without some sort of  warm up and/or stretch. Not that there is the least bit of similarity between Powerlifting or Internal Martial Arts. 

But there are more reasons to go through the process…Cultivation of Chi, calming of the spirit, reduction of potentially harmful chemicals (i.e. excess cortisol) produced by over stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system, etc. But it’s value should be open for debate and the eventual application deserves a degree of consideration when an athlete is attempting to take his art to the next level. 

One thing I must add, however, is that along with this method of “non-stretching” training, the biggest adaptation will come by way of the Central Nervous System (CNS). The body will literally do crazy things when you introduce stress it’s not accustomed to and nowhere is this more evident than through the medium of heavy weight lifting…But this can be a another conversation for another day…

Thanks for listening…Until Next Time!

Jeff Capps

References:

Stretching: 9 Benefits, Plus Safety Tips and How to Start

Do I need to stretch before exercising?

The stretch reflex and the contributions of C David Marsden