Stretching: Don't do it?

Like.  And stretching is not bouncing and doing it quick and incorrectly.

I have no athletic background so I never learned to stretch.... right or wrong.

I've had some PT for minor injuries where they showed me a few things and takled about how stiff I am, but I'm really not comfortable stretching. 

I reallly need to find a Yoga-esque class, and time.

I KNOW how important stretching is- I just never have(take) time to do it after a run or bike ride-usually there is something else I need to do right away & honestly forget.

One thing- I do 90% of my running/biking outside- I live 1/2 mile down a dirt road and usually walk it home when I am done with my official WO- so does that count as a stretch? (I'm doing sprint level work- not IM)

I do try and get a stretch/ flexibility WO in on my rest day

This article refers to a meta study that really just collects studies done by others and adds some additional statistical analysis. It's difficult to get statistics right, in particular when you use data from a number of different studies performed under different conditions. Just on that I read this article as some speculation trying to favour a preconceived desired conclusion.

Then read the premises of the study: "the Croatian researchers wanted studies that used only static stretching as an exclusive warm-up".

OK, that sounds pretty lame: Warm up by stretching alone and not doing any dynamic warmup to get the cardio vascular system prepped for performance. And I'm really not surprised if stretching cold muscles may cause damage and reduce performance.

Nothing new.

BR

The problem is that no one bothers to specifically define "stretching".  I've taught group fitness for 20 years and even back then we never started classes with holding positions for stretch.  We warmed up, but a warm up is completely different than a holding or static stretch as others have said. 

The goal of a warm up is to move the body in ranges of motion that will mimic the motion of the activity you'll be doing, but on a smaller and less dynamic scale.  Are you "stretching" the muscles?  Sure.  If you just pop out your front door and start running you're still technically stretching out your muscles, warm up or not.  That's why the word stretching can be tricky.

But holding or static stretches, or movements designed to increase flexibility are best done after your body is warm.  That's nothing new at all.  Think of your connective tissues like rubber bands.  If you take a cold rubber band and try to stretch it, what will happen?  It won't flex well and you're likely to make small tears.  Now if you think of stretching a slightly warm rubber band, you can imagine creating length more easily and that's exactly what you're attempting to do with your connective tissue.  If you want to make permenant changes to your flexibility, you static stretch on warm muscles.  Not ground breaking in the least.

Agree, but I can't even count the number of times I've had inexperienced gym goers say they stretch (static stretching, not dynamic) before beginning exercise, considering it a warm up.  I think it's not new or groundbreaking for anyone who's taken the time to educate themselves a little, but it's still not necessarily common knowledge among the masses.  AND, the idea that static stretching of even warm muscles prior to exercise can decrease force production still isn't common knowledge even among fitness enthusiasts.

LOL!  But, positive helpful stories don't sell newspapers as well as negative sensational pieces that say the sky is falling!

"Of course, the new studies’ findings primarily apply to people participating in events that require strength and explosive power, more so than endurance. But “some research speaks in favor” of static stretching impairing performance in distance running and cycling, Dr. Markovic said. "

Yes, it decreases performance while doing strength workouts.  As for distance exercises it only briefly mentions that some studies say it impairs performance, but does not say by how much or even which studies said that.  The article also fails to mention how stretching is used to prevent injuries.

Either way, I'll agree dynamic stretching is good. But there isn't enough evidence to convince me to stop with the static stretches(before distance work).

That might be because, despite being repeated often, there is little evidence that stretching does prevent injuries?

Stretching is a complete waste of time and more often than not counter productive to an endurance athlete....just forget about it and move on.

How often do you hear, "I stretch because I'm tight" or "I'm tight because I don't stretch"

Here's a clue....being tight...has nothing to do with how much you stretch...mind blowing, I know.

Its tough to prove most things 100% in this field of research whether it is stretching protocols, treatments such as ultrasound, PT protocols, other therapeutic modalites etc on human subjects because you essentialy cannot double blind most of the research etc(like medications) . This sets up the study either for failure or intense scrutiny.  Also most studies primarily use Pain as the main indicator of improvement which is highly subjective as well as the subjects continue to live their life and not stay in a "cage" the entire time allowing for external things to "muddy " the experiment...lol.....They usually cannot assess the effects of stretching on chronic overuse aka repetitve strain injuries definitively for these and other reasons.....so what I am trying to say is, research in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation is not an exact science by definition but it does not mean stretching does not help. Since research is limited by the tools we have to measure things and as well as the dubious nature of trying to measure subjective results , many things which are essentially true cannot be proven 100% scientifically therefore the general public say"It has not been proven"

comparison: We used to believe the world was flat and the sun orbited the earth until science and research methods caught up.

So what causes it? Fixes it?

I agree 100%.  Notice that I never said not to stretch?  I was making the point you did, that it takes many years of practical experience, many studies, and much debate by doctors, physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches, etc. to arrive at consensus.  Current consensus leans in the direction that static stretching prior to exertion reduces muscle force production.  That same consensus seems to still be on the fence regarding stretching's ability to prevent injuries.  Despite that, I personally, feel that specific stretches can reduce the risk of (but not definitely prevent) specific injuries in specific groups while not having a downside.  For example, IT band stretching after running may reduce the risk of ITBS in runners, but is unlikely to cause other issues, so IMO it is worth taking a few minutes after runs to do.

I'm not arguing, really I'm not because I know nothing about stretching....

But my sports doctor told me I was way too tight and prescriped PT, and in PT they tried to teach me to stretch.

This wasn't in the 70s, this was last year and for 2 different injuries (calf and shoulder).   Now, was this because they had PT's in virtually the same office that the doctor probably made a penny or 2 from the PT, maybe.

I don't think any of the PTs were over 40, most of them were pretty young.  So if stretching as a practice does not help loosen the muscels over the long haul then they are teaching something wrong in PT school.

I chimed in on these studies in another thread a while back.... here is something I posted on a social media site the other day

Due to my profession and 24 years of treating athletes , I have issues with this article and others that have proceeded it. Not that I disagree that stretching prior has a type of reciprical inhibition to the muscles (we have known this for years) but the anti-stretching tone these articles have. To address the studies, most of these studies discuss a +/- 5 percent decrease in maximum muscle contraction which is typically tested on a Isokinetic machines....this 5 percent is very low, plus in real life situations we rarely contract the muscle maximally in most sports activites. So unless you are about to do a max squat or bench press or a power lifting move you will not notice any effects....Most of these studies do not address "how long" this "weakness" lasts....most things I have read is only several minutes at best +/-.....therefore stretching beforehand especially if its say 30+ minutes before probably will have zero effect............when the studies talk about whether stretching helps recovery or prevents injuries, there is a problem!!!....too long to discuss on this thread but it has a lot to do with the inexact science of research on people and pain etc.....their criteria usually does not address repetitive strain issues but only pain.........they also never discuss the physiology of the muscle or understand muscles are essentiall "ropes' which expan over space and the tighter they are the more of a pull/tension there is at the origin and insertion therefor more stress in the muscle/tendon/enthesis of the muscle which risks microtrauma/tearing etc........therefore IMHO passive stretching still has a place in the prevention and treatment of injuries and should be done regularly...If you are concerned about this decrease in strength than do them at least several minute before the activity or do a dynmaic stretch before and passive sretching afterwards......ok soap boax lecture over lol

Yay!!! Winner....

This is the problem with most doctors and PT. They treat the symptom because the problem is WAY too complicated for them to dive into. Now, if you're the person who comes to the doctor and just has a pain in your hamstring and does nothing but sit on the couch (80% of all people) then yeah...roll it out and take some NSAIDs and make it feel better. That's great...

But if you're an athlete and need to work out the next day, stretching and foam rolling are the exact opposite of what you should be doing. Your body is compensating for something...that's why you're tight or sore to begin with. So if you stretch that tight muscle out or foam roll it, you're taking it away from your body to use and unless you give your body a better option, it's going to continue to find another way to compensate for the initial problem.

How many of us have gone to the doctor for a tight IT Band and heard, "yeah, you have IT Band Tendonitis....foam roll and ice it and take an anti-inflammatory" Basically all the doctor told you is your IT Band hurts....I KNOW THAT....BUT WHY DOES IT HURT. "Oh yeah, it hurts from over use"...complete BS....it hurts because it's doing the work of something else...ie compensating for something that isn't working right or not at all. Identifying that can be a LONG arduous task but that's the solution....not stretching. Doctors don't have time or sometimes even the expertise to find what's actually causing the problem (ie pain)....it could be anything...it could be an old injury to your neck that is causing your foot problems....it could be a problem in your back causing your knee problems. Finding the actual problem is HARD but needs to be done if you plan on doing the kind of training most of us do.