Conditioning
How does static stretching affect an athlete's performance?
Dr L.W. McDaniel and Bobbi Jo Dykstra discuss stretching and ask, "how may static stretching performed before a competition affect performance"?
Stretching has been defined as applying a tensile force to lengthen the muscle and connective tissue. Many athletes have been taught to stretch before each workout or competition to increase their range of motion and potentially reduce injuries. Since sports medicine professionals have promoted the early 1980s stretching. Stretching has been thought to prevent injury and improve athletic performance. Unfortunately, what most people do not know is that isolated static stretching immediately before exercise may impair a person's strength and power and does not affect on injury prevention. (Fields et al. 2007)[1]
Several papers have been published, which has produced a substantial body of evidence that stretching may not be the way to improve performance and decrease the risk of injury. Two studies have reported that strength was reduced up to one hour after static stretching (Fowles et al. 2000[7] and Kokkonen et al. 1998[6]). Another study that focused on peak torque during concentric isokinetic leg extension discovered that after one active and three passive stretches, strength decreased at both high and low speeds (Cramer et al. 2004)[8]
Men taken from a university population were pre-and post-tested for isometric force and surface electromyography activity. These tests were performed on lower limb muscles, a range of motion in seated hip flexion, prone hip extension, ankle plantar and dorsiflexion, no-counter movement jump height, and ground contact time. Male participants were tested thirty, sixty, ninety, and one hundred and twenty minutes after static stretching. The group participated in an eighteen-minute static stretch routine for the hamstrings, quads, and plantar flexors. Each muscle group was stretched for forty-five seconds, which was repeated four times with fifteen-second rests. Shirier found differences in the effects of two stretching types: acute stretching just before exercise and regular stretching performed for days outside of exercise. He found no benefit of acute stretching on isometric force production, isokinetic torque, or jumping height. Also, he found that regular stretching after exercise improved strength, jump height, and running speed. These findings suggest that acute stretching before exercise had no positive effects on strength and power, while regular stretching after training or competition improved strength and speed.
Unfortunately, stretching has been associated with muscle damage. A study completed on mice illustrated acute stretching of muscle fibres just 5% beyond resting length resulted in a 5% loss of isometric force. Another study found that stretching 20% beyond resting length has been related to muscle damage and decreased human force. Therefore, stretching could provoke enough muscle damage to reduce maximum force and explosive strength.
Table 1 details the results of studies dealing with various activities and the effects of acute stretching. Many activities have shown decreased performance, mainly for those that require maximum strength and explosive strength.
Table 1: The Effects of Acute Stretching (Warm-up) on Performance Variables
| Activity | Study | Effect on Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinting | Nelson et al McBride et al. |
Decrease Decrease |
| Standing Long Jump | Koch et al | No Difference |
| Counter Movement Jump | Cornwell et al Knudson et al McNeal and Sands |
Decrease No Difference Decrease |
| Static Jump | Young et al Cornwell et al. |
Decrease No Difference |
| Dynamic Strength | Fry et al Kokkenen et al. |
Decrease Decrease |
| Isometric Strength | Nelson et al Behm et al. Avela et al |
Decrease Decrease Decrease |
| Strength Endurance | Nelson et al Nelson et al. |
Decrease Decrease |
Summary: It appears that acute stretching can compromise explosive performance.
After conducting the study above, the results demonstrated no simple answer to whether an athlete should stretch before exercise. Unfortunately, the study suggested no concrete evidence that stretching before an athlete exercises has any benefits. At the same time, there is little evidence that stretching will do any harm. Athletes are recommended to warm-up properly, which means light aerobic activities and drills specific to their sport. Performing a proper warm-up will prepare the athlete for training or competition with less risk of a muscle pull or a related injury.
The literature demonstrated that athletes who participate in sports that require strength, power, and explosiveness need to be aware that static stretching before activity (practice or competition) may cause a temporary decrease in strength. Studies, where participants warmed up for five minutes and then performed static stretching using three sets of forty-five seconds, found that this stretching mode negatively influenced the reaction, movement time, and balance. These results contraindicated static stretching for individuals interested in improving balance, response, and movement times.
In most sports, athletes may be required to have an above-average range of motion and frequently train to maintain or improve flexibility. If an athlete, who needs to work on flexibility, chooses to stretch before exercise, a warm-up with some aerobic activity is recommended. Warm muscles will increase flexibility and reduce the possibility of straining or tearing muscles. If an athlete has a high range of flexibility, the athlete may find that practicing sport-specific skills may be a more economical use of time. So rather than stretching before exercise, this study recommends stretching after exercise or at home. Studies have shown that an athlete is more likely to benefit from stretching after exercise if stretching is performed regularly.
Conclusion
In conclusion, static stretching before exercise reduces an athlete's power and strength in most cases. If the athlete participates in power or strength exercises, acute stretching may not be recommended. For many competitive athletes warming up thoroughly before a competition and stretching after competition or training may be more critical. By stretching afterwards, the athlete gains flexibility without compromising power and strength. Another consideration related to stretching would be not to overextend your range of motion (overstretch a muscle) as this practice may cause muscle damage.
References
- FIELDS, M.D. et al. (2007) Should Athletes Stretch before Exercise? Sports Science Exchange, 20 (1)
- SHIER, I. (2005) When and Whom to Stretch. Physician and Sportsmedicine, 33 (3), p. 22-26.
- Gatorade Sports Science Institute (2007) Should You Stretch Before Exercise? Sports Science Exchange, 20 (1)
- STONE, M. et al. (2006) Stretching: Acute and Chronic? The Potential Consequences. Strength & Conditioning Journal. 28 (6), p. 66-74
- BRANDENBURGE, J. et al. (2007) Time course of changes in vertical-jumping ability after static stretching. The International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 2, p. 170-181.
- KOKKONEN, J. et al. (1998) Acute muscle stretching inhibits maximal strength performance. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 69, p. 411–415
- FOWLES, J. et al. (2000) Reduced strength after passive stretch of the human plantarflexors. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89, p. 1179–1188
- CRAMER, J.T et al. (2004) Acute effects of static stretching on peak torque in women. J.Strength Cond. Res., 18(2), p. 236-241
Page Reference
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- McDANIEL, L. and DYKSTRA, B. (2008) How does static stretching affect an athlete's performance? [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article027.htm [Accessed
About the Authors
Dr Larry McDaniel is an associate professor and advisor for the Exercise Science program at Dakota State University, Madison SD USA. He is a former All-American in football and Hall of Fame athlete & coach. Bobbi Joe Dykstra is a student in Exercise Science at Dakota State University and is a member of the DSU track team competing in the hurdles.