Earlier this week, one of our members asked whether it’s better to stretch before or after a workout, which then led into the discussion of whether “stretching” is really necessary or good.
The Summary
Static stretching does little if anything to reduce the probability of injury.
If you do stretch, doing it after a workout will logically result in a greater range of motion because your muscles and connective tissues are warmed up, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s “better”.
Mobility (the active range of motion you can CONTROL) is more important than flexibility (the total range of motion).
Full range of motion, controlled, dynamic MOVEMENT is a better way to improve mobility than static stretching.
The Detailed Answer
To answer this question, we need to define "stretching" and what most people are trying to achieve with it.
For most people, stretching means getting into a position where you put a muscle group and its related connective tissues and/or the affected joint at greater than normal ranges of motion until you "feel a stretch" and holding it there for a period of time, with the intention being to improve range of motion - I.E. allow yourself to get "further into the stretch" before getting that stretching sensation. This is what I would refer to as "static stretching".
Most people do this because they believe that being "tight" is bad, and stretching will help them avoid injury.
Here's what our current knowledge on static stretching says:
Most research on static stretching and rates of injury say that stretching either before or after exercise does little to nothing to prevent injury.
Most research on static stretching BEFORE resistance exercise shows a loss of strength on the subsequent movements.
Most research on static stretching suggests that it actually doesn't lengthen or "stretch" tissues at all, and that the changes in range of motion (ROM) are mostly proprioceptive - I.E. your body just accepts that the increased ROM as detected by the "sensors" built in to our muscles and connective tissues is normal / safe, and doesn't fight the motion as hard by contracting the muscle in response.
Logically, static stretching AFTER exercise results in greater ranges of motion than static stretching before exercise because the muscles and connective tissues are warmed up, but does that necessarily mean the stretch itself is "better"?
Research on whether or not static stretching reduces post-workout soreness (AKA Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS) is mixed. Some people report reduced soreness, some feel it makes no difference.
So, CAN static stretching improve ROM? Yes, but not how most people think. Does it reduce injury or improve performance? No (with one caveat, explained below). Does it matter if you do it before or after exercise - is one better than the other? Not really.
The one caveat with regards to injury prevention is that if you have less than normal ROM, and that lack of ROM is due to proprioceptive "tightness" in the muscle or connective tissues (rather than a mechanical restriction in the affected joint or joints), then yes, improving maximum ROM can be beneficial because you can have an increased safe range of motion for activity.
Flexibility vs. Mobility
However, more important than how much total ROM you have is how much ROM you can CONTROL. I like to think of this in terms of flexibility (static range of motion) vs. mobility (active range you can control).
If you stretch so that you have lots of potential range (I.E. you're very "flexible"), but can only control the first third or half of it, you actually have a HIGHER potential for injury than if you didn't stretch at all. Preventing injury is why your body creates that tightness in the first place - to keep you in the range you can control!
How do you improve mobility?
With full range, dynamic MOTION, not just static stretching. Can you do both? Sure, but if I had to choose one or the other, I would go with full range, dynamic motion every time because I can work on my flexibility, mobility and strength all at the same time.
Is there really any good reason to use static stretching at all? Absolutely. Here are the two cases where I employ stretching:
For some people, stretching just feels good, and may reduce muscle soreness from exercise. It may also serve as a good cool down post exercise, keeping you moving a bit instead of just stopping altogether. If it feels good to you and you have the time, great!
If you have less than normal ROM, and you have the time to do static stretching in addition to full range, dynamic motion training, you could see greater improvement faster than with mobility training alone. If the lack of ROM is due to your skeletal structure and/or arthritic changes in your joints, stretching likely won’t do anything except cause discomfort. If you're not sure how to tell the difference, or whether or not your ROM is normal, ask your coach or physiotherapist for assistance!
Questions?
I just *might* have some answers...LOL!
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns you have about the content of this email, or nutrition/training in general. If I don't have an answer for you, I'll do my best to help you find the info you need.
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—Coach JP