Stretching+and+Sports

Stretching

Does stretching improve sport performance?

Introduction There are many types of stretching, but do all of them, or should I say any of them help improve performance of athletes? Stretching has been around since ancient times when Greeks and Roman armies were around to keep their armies in good shape. In sports history coaches and practitioners use stretching as a strategy for injury prevention. The question is, has all this stretching help to pursue the increase of sport performance or decrease of injury prevention?

Claims Since the ancient times people have been stretching. But was it worth their time? Is stretching something someone made up? some claims for stretching are:


 * Warming up
 * Injury prevention
 * Prevention of muscle soreness
 * Flexibility
 * Performance enhancement
 * Releases trigger points
 * lower blood sugar levels
 * Reduce blood pressure and its effects
 * Keep muscles healthy
 * Increases the range of motion
 * Improves posture
 * Improves mental health

The evidence There is no scientific evidence that a stretched muscle helps absorb more energy rather a stiff one, in fact most research shows the opposite. Most injuries occur during your normal range of motion so increasing your range of motion isn’t going to help prevent the injuries. When a muscle is stretched the body needs to put more energy into doing something because the muscle is more relaxed. Now for the good side of stretching. Stretching does increase your range of motion and allows you to move around easier. It also allows your muscles to work more effectively and increases blood flow to the muscle.

The cost

Stretching takes time and if you go to a gym it will cost you money. Depending on the gym you go to, to work out it may cost you more or less.

References


 * 1)  The Definitive Guide to Why Stretching and Mobility Exercises are Completely Overrated - Complete Human Performance. (2016). Retrieved September 23, 2016, from [|__http://www.completehumanperformance.com/stretching/__]
 * 2)  @. (n.d.). Quite a Stretch. Retrieved September 23, 2016, from [|__https://www.painscience.com/articles/stretching.php__]