The Problem With Static Stretching

The problem with stretching is that it has a relaxing effect. Each muscle has a type of sensory receptor called a muscle spindle. The muscle spindle detects changes in the length of a muscle. Without these spindles, your joints and soft tissues would constantly be damaged by muscle activity. Instead, the muscle spindles activate the stretch reflex.

As a muscle lengthens, the spindles trigger the muscles to activate, and when successful this causes the motion to stop. It’s that muscle activation that creates the sensation of a muscle being stretched. What you are feeling when you stretch is the muscle activating to prevent further lengthening.

When you spend time static stretching, you are essentially practicing the skill of releasing this tension. Theoretically, the nervous system’s messages that tell the muscle to activate with powerful contraction will decline. As a result, any strength work done after stretching is done by relaxed muscles, which simply don’t express strength very well. This effect may last into the following day, so stretching on your off days might even be a bad idea.

Are Shorter Sessions Better?

It seems that shorter duration static stretching might not relax the muscles as much and have a reduced impact on strength. Both of the research teams in the Journal studies wanted to find out if it was true that shorter duration stretching was still fine for strength.

Both studies used various lengths of stretching plans followed by power maneuvers. Both groups of subjects also stretched muscles that were used specifically in the power exercises.

Results

The first study compared the effects of thirty seconds of partner-assisted stretching to sixty seconds, measuring how each stretching program impacted a vertical leap test. Each subject performed the following four partner-assisted exercises (also pictured below):

1. Straight-leg calf muscle stretch
2. Supine straight-leg hamstrings stretch
3. Supine hip flexion stretch
4. Lying quadriceps stretch with hip extension

Pictured Above: Partner-assisted stretches performed in the first study

Stretching each muscle for sixty seconds did indeed reduce jumping by over three percent, compared to no stretching at all. Thirty seconds of stretching, however, had no significant effect.

In the second study, even more stretching lengths were compared, with intervals of ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty, and sixty seconds. The subjects performed the following five stretches:

1. Supine hip extensor stretch
2. Butterfly stretch
3. Side quadriceps stretch
4. Semi-straddle stretch
5. Standing calf stretch

The researchers wanted to see how the different stretch intervals affected ten- and twenty-meter sprints and a change of direction test. Speed improved after the two shortest stretching sessions, whereas the longer times had no effect. When the athletic ability of each athlete was compared, the researchers discovered this benefit was only present in the intermediate athletes, not the highly skilled athletes.

Both of these studies support the idea that stretching makes athletes weaker, but only if the stretching sessions are long enough to fully relax the muscles. Short static stretching is effective for flexibility, takes less time than longer stretching sessions, and may even improve power.

References:

1. Matheus Pinto, et. al., “Differential effects of 30-s vs. 60-s static muscle stretching on vertical jump performance Effects of volume stretching on jump performance,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000569

2. Alexandra Avloniti, et. al., “The Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Speed and Agility Performance Depend on Stretch Duration and Conditioning Level,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000568

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By now we have heard that static stretching is the devil. Plenty of research has shown that static stretches alone don’t provide a proper warmup, and when done before your workout, they can even inhibit performance.

But an upcoming study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research has shown that static stretching, when done for short periods between exercises, doesn’t inhibit performance.

Researchers asked fifteen men to perform bench press at 80% of 1RM until failure. The men repeated this for four total sets with two minutes rest between sets. Some of the men spent the two minutes of rest sitting quietly and discussing the latest episode of Bridezillas.

And some of the men spent the two minutes of rest performing deep stretches on their pecs and triceps. A few days later everyone returned to the lab and did the same protocol, but the rest group and stretching group switched. In this way, all fifteen men experienced both the resting and the stretching protocol on different days.

When the results were tallied, researchers found that the stretching protocol and the rest protocol had produced about the same results.

Both protocols produced a little more than twenty total reps over the four sets. Everyone expected the static stretching group to tank and the rest group to reign supreme, but it didn’t happen.

This is in direct conflict with several other studies that have shown static stretching reduces performance. However, most other studies used longer duration stretches while this study used stretches of only thirty seconds.

Controlling the intensity of a stretch is also inherently difficult. How intensely were the athletes stretching in this study compared to other studies? I’m sure each athlete and researcher has a different idea of how painful a normal stretch should be. All of these factors can muddy the waters.

Interestingly, some bodybuilders have used static stretching as a way to increase their size through muscle hypertrophy. The Doggcrapp system created by Dante Trudel uses “extreme stretching” to induce this growth.

The idea is to perform a deep and painful stretch on the affected muscle group for sixty to ninety seconds after you finish an exercise. Supposedly, this makes the muscle grow larger by stretching and enlarging its tissues. But be warned, absolutely no real science exists to support this claim. But sometimes bro-science can be accurate – you’ll have to be the judge.

So are we ready to repair our relationship with static stretching? Can we bring it back into our lives with more than an awkward every-other-weekend visitation strategy?

Probably not. The overwhelming majority of evidence points to static stretching decreasing performance. But for special cases like hypertrophy, static stretching may have uses we haven’t yet explored.

References

1. Alex Riberio, et al. Static Stretching and Performance in Multiple-Sets in the Bench Press Exercise. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (forthcoming). POST ACCEPTANCE, 25 September 2013. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000257.

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There is good reason to believe that chronic stretching would reduce the weakening effect on muscles. Perhaps the simplest way to explain this is that your reaction to exercise changes over time. Think about “beginner’s gains,” which are a perfect example of how a new program can shake up your results. Static stretching could well be the same way.

Static stretching simply means holding a stretch at the end of your range of motion. Once you feel the stretch you hold it there for a time. There are various kinds of static stretching. There are some kinds where you work the antagonist muscles (the muscles that do the opposite action of the one you are stretching) to create the stretch. There are other kinds where you work the muscle itself in its stretched position. And there are a number of kinds where you don’t work the muscles at all and only focus on the stretch. This study was concerned primarily with the latter, probably the most common of the static stretching varieties.

While we know the acute effects of static stretching on strength, what we need a better understanding of is the chronic effects. That is to say, we need to know what happens if we stretch and lift regularly, rather than just a handful of times in a laboratory setting that doesn’t really mimic what we do in the real world. A study this month in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning tackled this topic.

In the new study, the participants either performed strength training with stretching done before hand, strength training with stretching done during sets (the sort of thing you see all the time in the gym), and strength training alone. They compared the strength results and levels of IGF-1, a muscle building hormone, in each of the three groups after 10 weeks of training.

Much like the acute weakening effect, the researchers in this study found that static stretching also chronically weakened the muscles when performed both before and during exercise. That is to say, each group got stronger after 10 weeks. But the group that didn’t stretch at all got significantly stronger than the groups that did, and also had greater expression of IGF-1.

However, the researchers in this study acknowledged one major difference in the way that some people stretch. This is called “order of effect.” This study showed that stretching before or during exercise has a chronically weakening effect. Another study, which included a more substantial stretching element, suggested an increase in long-term strength resulting from stretching after exercise.

So if you like your static stretching like I do, fear not. While dynamic stretching (stretching through movement) is probably better pre-exercise, static stretching many well be the better choice for post-exercise. More research is needed, but for now, it’s a good bet.

References:

1. CL Borges Bastos, et. al., “Chronic Effect of Static Stretching on Strength Performance and Basal Serum IGF-1 Levels,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 27(9), 2013

2. J Kokkonen, et. al. “Early-Phase Resistance Training Strength Gains in Novice Lifters Are Enhanced by Doing Static Stretching” J Strength Cond Res 24(2), 2010

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

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An upcoming study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research asks, “Does static stretching suck as badly for children as it does for adults?” The study examined 47 boys and girls, all about fifteen years old. The participants performed several different warmup protocols and were then given a variety of physical tests. So what was the result? Static stretching decreased performance in both the sprint and vertical jump. However, it did give the best results for flexibility.

This adds to the growing body of evidence that static stretching is not an effective warmup strategy. According to recent studies, dynamic warmups usually give much better results. However, personally I think static stretching should have a limited place in your warmup. Some exercises may require a bit of stretching for you to simply perform the movement. Snatches and cleans are an excellent example. Executing some mobility techniques for the shoulders and hips may be necessary for you to achieve the range of motion necessary for a successful lift.

For example, stretching and performing self-myofascial release on my triceps is a ritual before every training session that involves a clean. Does this reduce the power of my triceps? Probably. But it allows me to receive cleans on my shoulders with high elbows, and to get my elbows around the bar quickly. I think the trade off is worth it.

Similarly, I sometimes sit in an overhead squat with a light load prior to snatching. Does this reduce the power of my hips and legs? Maybe. But without opening my hips I won’t get under a heavy snatch and get the chance to stand it up, so again, I think the trade is worth it.

But for low speed movements like pressing and deadlifting, static stretching is definitely a buzz kill. Use it to improve your flexibility, but avoid it prior to your workout.

References:

1. Paradisis, Giorgos, et. al. Effects of Static and Dynamic Stretching on Sprint and Jump Performance in Boys and Girls. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (forthcoming). POST ACCEPTANCE, 15 April 2013. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e318295d2fb

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post How to Stretch Before Your Workout: Use Science AND Common Sense appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Well, ask and you shall receive. Not one, but two studies have been accepted by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning regarding the duration of effects of static stretching on performance, one of which compared it to dynamic stretching. When it rains it pours. Okay, enough old sayings, let’s get right to the nuts and bolts of these studies.

One study specifically measured the time needed to recover strength after static stretching and that’s it. The time was within ten minutes but longer than five. So, if you do any kind of light static or passive static stretching prior to exercise you should return to full strength within ten minutes. So my suggestion to stretch the night before was a good one. Further, the researchers suggest that the cause of the weakening effect is mechanical, meaning a relaxation of the associated tendons, which then lose their ability to store energy.

So far so good, and that’s a very cool result. The second study looked at the time to recover strength and also compared the results to dynamic stretching. They discovered, as I suspected, that dynamic stretching actually improved power, which researchers measured with various sprinting and jumping protocols. You have to love science. The other thing they discovered was that static stretching reduced performance for 24 hours after training.

Now, wait a minute. Static stretching reduces performance for five minutes … or 24 hours. That’s a huge difference between these two studies. This is the sort of result that makes people question research, but a keen eye can help clear up some of the confusion.

In the first study, researchers only examined calf stretching and strength, and found a rapid recovery. In the second study, they looked at a complete lower body stretching protocol on sprinting and jumping. Note the differences here. The calf and Achilles are some of the toughest and most elastic parts of your skeletal muscle system, ideal for carrying your body for miles and miles of high impact. Sprinting and jumping are much more complex exercises than calf raises, and require a total body involvement. The weakening effect of static stretching seems to last longer with the larger muscles especially for complex activities.

As it stands, I suggest athletes should focus solely on dynamic stretching, which may have both warming effects and extended performance-improving effects. I still like passive stretching for sleep, and I think its full day weakening effects might be overstated a bit in the second study. However, it may be wise to keep your passive stretching to a minimum, using it sparingly to assist with sleep at night and when there is no complex workout the next day.

References:

1. Takamasa Mizuno, et. al., “Stretching-induced deficit of maximal isometric torque is restored within 10 minutes,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182964220

2. Monoem Haddad, et. al., “Static Stretching Can Impair Explosive Performance For At Least 24 Hours,” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182964836

Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Two New Studies on Static Stretching … Are Completely Conflicting? appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Well, it turns out that this might not be true. In fact, passive stretching prior to exercising doesn’t just not warm you up, but a recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning indicates that it might make your work out worse.

In the study researchers compared a dynamic warm up of performing light exercises to the same warm up with passive stretches added. In both groups of participants the muscles were properly warmed up, so the only difference was the stretching itself. What researchers discovered was that not only was the dynamic warm up better all by itself, but the passive stretching actually made the participants weaker and increased their instability.

Now the “measure of stability” amounted to a question about how stable participants felt while doing their 1 rep max test. Not particularly the most scientific of methods, but it might be important anyway if true. What’s of greatest interest, though, was the decreased strength.

Strength was less by 8.36% on average. That’s a difference of 25lbs in a 300lb squat. A big difference that compounds over time. The researchers guessed at a few mechanisms that may have caused this. One idea was that it could be a relaxation of the tendons of the associated muscles. With relaxed tendons, the muscles can’t store or generate energy in the same way, which weakens them.

There may also be a neurological explanation for this phenomenon. The passive stretching could possibly alter neurological activity, reducing the ability of the nerves to cause the muscles to generate force. This might also have affected proprioception, and could be the reason for the change in feelings of stability.

So it seems like the right choice is to eliminate static stretching prior to exercise, strength exercise in particular. The researchers recommended a progressive adjustment toward an active-only warm up. They suggested slowly reducing static stretching before eliminating it from the warm up entirely. This might help athletes who have a psychological dependency on their pre-exercise routine.

I’d like to see if a warm up including dynamic flexibility has the same effect. I suspect it does not, but it would be nice to see in a study like this because flexibility is an important part of athleticism that we may be eliminating by getting rid of the static stretching prior to exercise.

Regardless of how you include it, flexibility and mobility work should be a part of any athlete’s routine. But if you do passive stretching, save it for a pre-sleep routine, or for any time other than just before exercise.

References:

1. Jeffrey Gergley, et. al., “Acute Effect of Passive Static Stretching on Lower-Body Strength in Moderately Trained Men,” J Strength Cond Res 27(4), 2013

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