Post by: @BroganSamuelWilliams
Static Stretching has had it rough over the last decade - many coaches and practitioners warning athletes away from performing them AT ALL, claiming they have NO place in a warm up routine and should NEVER be performed before exercise.
Various studies concluded that static stretching “can” inhibit maximal muscular power output (MMPO) with one meta-analysis in particular showing negative acute effects regarding MMPO present in over 104 studies, researchers concluded that “static stretching”(SS) should NOT be used as the sole warm up activity prior to strength or power output sports. They found athletes lost around 3-5% strength & power output post 90 seconds or more of SS, and those who stretched <45 seconds had little to no negative effects (Simic L, et al. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2013).
Make sense, right? A stretched muscle is a weakened muscle? Well, more recently a comprehensive systematic review of hundreds of studies concluded “Static Stretching”(SS) is NOT be as bad after all. Most of the previous studies only tested the SS exclusively in a isolated manner, however, when incorporated into a full warm up routine including an initial aerobic component the Static & Dynamic stretching showed no negative effects, an increase in range of motion (ROM) and might even reduce injury/muscle strain. (Behm, 2015).
The key take away here is the specificity of “what” you are stretching and in the context of whatever movement or mobility issues YOU may be having.
My takeaways: DO apply key static stretching modalities to increase ROM in specific areas. DO include dynamic stretching and/or other aerobic elements into your warm up. DO aim for short sharp bouts of stretching, <45 secs DO work in conjunction with your coach or practitioner to plan accordingly & find out if those niggly muscles are short & tight or long and weak (both may present symptoms of “tightness” but stretching the latter will only makes it worse!) DO use this as a tool to support you finding better positions when you have a barbell in your hand.
Hope this helps, Peace.
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