Breaking The Myths Of Static Stretching

The topic of static stretching before exercise or performance training is often debated in the fitness community. Thus, we get countless professionals advising their clients that they need more static stretching to attain better flexibility. Historically, static stretching was commonly performed as part of pre-exercise warm-up routines to increase flexibility and prevent injury. However, more recent research has suggested that static stretching immediately before exercise may not be as beneficial as once thought and could potentially decrease performance in certain activities, especially those that require explosive power or strength. We will discuss why static stretching before exercise or performance training can mislead you and what countermeasures we can take as an alternative.

It is proven that static stretching before speed, power, and strength training decreases performance in those given activities. A study from the journey of strength and conditioning research on stretch-induced strength loss showed a temporary decrease in performance metrics such as power, strength, and speed specifically with short-head muscle groups when stretched at a neutral or passive position. Short-head muscle groups are mainly composed of fast-twitch muscle fibers. Weakening these muscle fibers before any form of explosive or strength-related training will alter your performance at the exercise, making you feel slightly weaker or quickly fatigued. Although each body may have a different response to static stretching, the temporary relief it might bring does not solve the root cause of the issue.

We tend to see athletes complaining about tightness in the lower back, hamstrings, or glute medius.  Their concept and understanding of static stretching is that it would not only alleviate but also solve the problem. At SPU, we prioritize teaching our clients why we do what we do in a specific way. It is known that treating the root cause of a problem will bring more accurate long-term benefits than when treating the symptoms. In our biomechanical integrity analysis, athletes who fail their passive straight leg raise often complain about being tight or not flexible. From our perspective, we might already know what the root cause is of limiting their range of motion from the other components of the test and making that connection to a better conclusion. Athletes’ first thoughts are not going to be pelvic structure, hip flexor strength, internal hip rotation mobility, or neuromuscular anatomy. In short, we break down our findings from their assessment and we then address any issue or limitation with pre-hab short exercises as part of their warmup and other alternatives. 

When it comes to warming before performance training, we have all athletes foam roll all the major muscle groups. Foam rolling’s main purpose is to help increase blood flow throughout the muscles and release the potentially dehydrated myofascial connective tissue layer that sits on top of the muscles. The myofascial connective tissue can be another root cause of a range of motion limitations and feeling tightness. Typically, the muscle when taken outside of the body can be stretched relatively up to six times its regular length, therefore, the muscle length is not the issue. Our further alternative warmup strategies are incorporating dynamic movements and stretches. Dynamic stretching involves controlled movements through a full range of motion, which can help increase blood flow, muscle temperature, and joint mobility without the potential negative effects of static stretching. The increased flow in the joints and muscles puts your body in a better state to perform. 

While the necessity of static stretching before exercise is debated, its benefits as a post-exercise activity for improving flexibility and reducing muscle soreness are widely acknowledged. Incorporating static stretching into the cool-down routine following a workout can help maintain or improve flexibility over time.

In summary, static stretching before exercise may not be necessary for everyone, especially for activities requiring explosive power or strength. Alternative warm-up strategies like dynamic stretching may be more appropriate in such cases. However, static stretching can still play a valuable role in improving flexibility and reducing muscle tightness when incorporated into a comprehensive fitness routine.

​-Coach Andy Louis