Stretching: Effects of strength and injury prevention

• Published in: Journal of sports science & medicine 2009-12, Vol.8
• Main Author: Sekir, U
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Athletes; Coaches; Competition; Flexibility; Injuries; Muscles (function); Preventive health; Sports; Strength; Stretching; Warm up
• ISSN: 1303-2968; 1303-2968

Many athletes use some type of pre-participation warm-up routine to prepare themselves for athletic practice or competition. Traditionally, these warm-ups have included some form of stretching, and stretching has been commonplace in a multitude of sports. Many athletes, athletic trainers and other rehabilitation professionals believe that stretching promotes better performance and/or reduce the risk of musculoskeletal injury during strenuous exercise or strength assessment tests by improving flexibility or pain-free range of motion about a joint. Athletes and coaches use many different types of stretching that are usually based only on their personal preference, but no optimal type or amount of stretching has been identified. There are various techniques of stretching, including ballistic, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), static, and dynamic stretching. Among these, static stretching is widely used because its application is easy and safe. Recently, numerous studies have examined the effects of static or dynamic stretching on maximal isometric, concentric, or eccentric dynamic muscle strength. Typically, it was shown that pre-exercise static stretching may temporarily compromise a muscle's ability to produce strength either isometrically or isokinetically. In contrast, some evidence exists indicating that dynamic stretching exercises may improve muscle strength performance. This has implications for athletes involved in sports that require high levels of strength and force production. Some researchers have proposed that static stretching prior to competition may hinder performance and prompted recommendations that static stretching be omitted or replaced by dynamic stretching during warm-ups. On the other hand, stretching is commonly perceived as an important way to prevent injury by the public, sports coaches and sports medicine professionals. However, in the literature, conflicting data have been reported concerning the relationship between flexibility and athletic injury. The literature reports opposing findings from different samples. A number of reviews of the stretching literature exist, in which authors advocate stretching as an important part of an injury prevention program, although these conclusions are not based on any clinical evidence. But, at the same time, other numerous recent systematic reviews on this matter have shown no evidence that stretching does, in fact, reduce injury risk. Therefore, no definitive conclusions could