There is a substantial amount of research that indicates that held stretches, such as bending down to touch your toes, to stretch your hamstrings can actually impair dynamic sports and fitness performance.
Canadian researchers looked at the effects of maximal and sub-maximal held stretches on jump performance (1). Ten people participated in the study and each performed 4 x 30sec. of maximal range of movement stretching (to what the researchers called the ‘point of discomfort’ (PoD). They also performed non-maximum range of movement stretches (2, stretch reps at 75% and 50% of PoD). All stretches targeted the hamstrings, quadriceps and ankle muscles. Five minutes after one of the stretch protocols the participants performed various plyometric jump exercises, such as drop (depth) jumps and squat jumps. It was discovered that these were negatively affected. For example, drop jump and squat jump height was reduced by 4.6% and 5.7% respectively, compared to the participants’ jump performance without prior held stretching. The researchers answered the ‘why’ question (sort of) by stating, “…it is hypothesised that changes in muscle compliance may play a role.” Basically they believe that stretching reduced the elasticity and power potential of the survey participant’s muscles.
There will be those who still hold onto old school ideas about stretching who may argue, ‘Ah, yes, but you need to stretch to avoid injury and to achieve the necessary range of movement for your sport’. Well, ‘yes and no’. Yes, you do need to have the necessary range of movement to perform the technique/techniques required of your sport. And it is also a good idea to include held stretches in your warm downs to boost recovery. But there is a considerable amount of ‘no’
Stretching can actually lead to injury before sports performance
Canadian researchers conducted a research review looking specifically at the relationship between stretching in the warm-up and injury prevention (2). They concluded that stretching had little benefit to dynamic performance, for similar reasons as previously noted, but also came up with these other selected findings:
1) Stretching has little relevance to sports where ‘excessive muscle length’ is not required e.g. jogging
2) Stretching will not protect a muscle from being strained during an eccentric contraction – of which more below
3) Stretching can mask pain in humans
Most hamstring injuries, for example, occur when the hamstrings undergo an eccentric (lengthening under load) contraction to arrest the forward travel of the lower leg and foot to pull them back toward the ground when running or to stop the leg’s travel when kicking. Held stretching will have little or no effect on reducing this potentiality, but dynamic stretching and strengthening warm up drills will. These exercises include leg and arm swings, walking lunges, trunk rotations, calf raises and sprint type drills – all performed at increasing intensity across the warm up. Athletes and fitness trainers should perform these with control and progress their speed of performance over time (if they are unfamiliar with them) when preparing for dynamic activity.
- Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007 Nov;101(5):587-94. Epub 2007 Aug 4
- Clin J Sport Med. 1999 Oct;9(4):221-7
