Is warming-up More Important Than Stretching Before Physical Activity ?
It almost goes without saying that athletes should stretch before
playing or working out.
But, a surprising amount of new research is
questioning that belief and challenging the notion that stretching is
effective in improving performance. Surprisingly, there is little
scientific evidence to support that supports the performance benefits
theory of stretching. In fact, recent research has begun to demonstrate
that stretching prior to physical activity actually decreases
Researchers at California State University, Chico observed the effects
stretching had on vertical jump technique and performance. After a 3
minute warm-up on a stationary bike, one half the subjects rested while
the other half performed a series of stretches. Results indicated that
over half the subjects in the stretching group decreased jumping
performance following stretching. The researchers note that decreasing
muscle stiffness is primarily related to increased muscle temperature
and not the effect of stretching. Furthermore, stretching during the
warm-up period for dynamic physical activity may be counterproductive to
vertical jump performance. It was concluded that warming up the muscles
prior to activity was more beneficial than stretching before activity.
Knudson, D., Bennett, K., Corn, R., Leick, D., and Smith, C, Acute
Effects of Stretching Are Not Evident in the Kinematics of the Vertical
Jump, JSCR Vol. 15(1), 2001, p. 98-101.