Stretching may not reduce injuries.

[koreantiger81]

My kinesiology professor/doctor says: "Empirical evidence would seem to support flexibility development as a means to reducing injuries and improving performance. However, there is very little in the way of hard, scientific evidence to support the aforementioned contention. "

 

Why is there no hard evidence? "It is extremely difficult to control all factors that affect injuries. It is possible that other causes of injury is responsible, such as poor strength development around a joint. "

 

In addition, "there is no hard evidence that stretching after exercise will reduce secondary soreness..." Do you guys notice a decrease in secondary soreness if you stretch during your cool-down period?

 

Anyways, I'm promoting not to stretch. Personally, I would continue to stretch, unless there is the discovering of concrete evidence against stretching... I just thought this was interesting.. (By the way this thread only concentrates on stretching and not warming up to raise your core body temperature.)

Edited October 21, 2002 by koreantiger81

[Bretty101]

Stretching fatigues the muscle being stretched and reduces the muscles response to being overstretched. hence the muscle is more prone to injury through sudden overextension. however it will use the muscle being stretched so hence warm (increase blood flow in) that muscle. So the effect of stretching can be argued either way.

 

I think you are more prone to injury when doing dangerous stretches which strain joints. Stretching ligaments and loosening the joint making it more prone to twisting and tearing. (tendons hold muscle to bone, ligaments hold bone to bone) Don't ever stretch ligaments, ie hyper extend a joint or apply any force in a direction a joint is not meant to bend in.

 

as for Hard evidence?- doctors and professors always contradict one another and say very different things. The only evidence or proof they ever give is 'the result of a survey or study' who says their survey is accurate? It is usually twisted to fit their report. How would you go about proving one way or another?

 

Bretty

[G95champ]

You give me 100 runners and you stretch 50 of them out and let the other 50 start with no warm up work. You run a 100m dash X number of times. I will bet the farm more of the ones in the group who did NOT stretch will be hurt and loose more often.

[KickChick]

Why is there no hard evidence? "It is extremely difficult to control all factors that affect injuries. It is possible that other causes of injury is responsible, such as poor strength development around a joint. "

 

In addition, "there is no hard evidence that stretching after exercise will reduce secondary soreness..." Do you guys notice a decrease in secondary soreness if you stretch during your cool-down period?

 

I disagree!

 

The most commonly agreed upon way to prevent injuries is to stretch before working out. Almost everyone agrees on this point of fact but unfortunately most people have never really been taught how to stretch --correct stretches for what activity and performed in their proper order.

 

We normally stretch out joints in the directions which we are used to moving them in.But what we fail to realize is that every joint in the body is built to withstand and compensate for some rolling motion as the joint goes through its full range of motion. The major muscles which we are used to stretching are those which are responsible for the major movement of the joint, but the minor muscles are responsible in a large part for keeping tthat joint aligned and positioned properly. When we don't stretch these minor muscles, we run the risk of pulling and/or tearing them if we move the joint forcfully in an abnormal direction where it was not designed to go. This is also what we do to our opponents when we put force their joints directions they were not intended to go! --> PAIN!

 

So we do need to loosen up these small muscles surrounding each joint.

 

It is very important to do the proper stretches in the proper order.

 

Start below with the feet and work upward to the head or vise versa. Stretch each and every joint in its proper directions of travel, but also roll each joint in as much of a circular motion as you can. This will loosen up the minor muscles. Make sure that any tension you place on muscles and ligaments during your stretching is done with slow and gently with increasing pressure. Bouncy movements (ballistic) should be avoided, because even small jerks can tear the small muscle fibers.

 

Certain stretches were designed to achieve certain results!

 

Muscles are usually long enough to allow for a full range of motion in the joints, but it is the nervous control of their tension that has to be worked upon for muscles to show their full length. (as described in "Stretching Scientifically" by T. Kurz) This is why stretching every day (say every morning) makes your full range of motion possible latter in the day with no warm up! (Kurz's secret to kicking with no warm up while not incurring any injury!) This is why repeated movements like biking/spinning certain weightlifting and calisthenics can set the nervous control of length and tension in the muscles (muscle memory). Stronger stimuli are remembered better. Strenuous workouts do damage muscle fibers of conective tissue but do heal in a day or two (DOMS) but a loss of flexibility will also occur as muscle shortens up during this healing.

 

When we stretch correctly, most of our muscles are loose and flexible. As we train, we exert force on these joints and these muscles tense up (contract) to protect the improper rotation of joints, and soon non-moving joint muscles can be even tighter than before we began our initial stretch.

 

This tightening of small motion joints is particularly important in our back. Whenever we kick the heavy bag in ma training our body's joints adjust to compensate for the force load. Vertebrae shift to take up the shock of our feet/legs striking the bag or lifting weights.

 

The main reason we stretch should not only be to prevent injury but to enable us to gain flexibility and to restore the looseness of the muscles we have caused to tighten. The post exercise or a cool down stretch ensures this. The proper cool down is to gradually to decrease the amount of physical activity but to continue to do enough to generate heat in the main muscles you had been using. You then allow those muscles that are already loose to contract slowly while you loosen up the contracted muscles.When we do not stretch out these muscles and ligaments, they naturally tend to shorten with time and age.... a decrease in flexibility!

 

Stretching facilitates recovery by regulating muscle tension, relieving muscle spasms and improving blood flow into your muscles.

 

There is alot of misinformation out there. With many people following physiological guidelines when it come to proper stretching in order to avoid injury or trauma .... is it any wonder why doctors have contradicting opinions?

[ZR440]

My instructor pulled his hamstring a few weeks ago when me and a few others decided to do a quick one hour practice. We didn't do any warm-up or stretching. We went straight into forms. I don't think we'll be doing that again.

[koreantiger81]

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/stretchingresearch.htm

 

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1676.56282

[Bretty101]

This whole injury argue ment was why i posted the question a few weeks ago about hip flexor stretches. Why do you need to stretch your hip flexor? I don't think you do and find it just loosens my hips.

 

Bretty

[CTpizzaboy]

Stretch or die. When doing anything repetitive (lifting weights, running, punching, kicking) you must stretch. Its just common sense; which can help, especially if you ever decide to live to 70.

[KickChick]

http://www.thefactsaboutfitness.com/research/stretchingresearch.htm

 

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1676.56282

 

Concerning link #1:

However, it's important to define what is meant by the term "injury". Stretching may not reduce the incidence of stress fractures. In contrast, it does appear to have a beneficial effect on muscle strains and ligament sprains.

 

and #2:

"The vast majority of people need to warm up and get their muscles ready for strenuous activity," Smith says. "That is true for serious athletes and weekend warriors alike."

 

I don't think there is any arguemen as far as stretching reducing "bone" injuries (fractures) .... Got Milk??