Ask the Experts - Coaching

Answers from Brian Mackenzie:

Q.The 'Did you know' section in Your Personal Trainer issue 2 states that you should stretch BEFORE and after exercise. This is a direct contradiction to 1) The latest research 2) What UK Athletics are telling us coaches 3) What it says in your 'Flexibility special' Please explain!

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Well spotted Rob. Although the article does not indicate the type of stretching to be undertaken the information at the end of the article implies it is static stretching for both warm up and cool down. As you indicate in your question this is contrary to current research. For the benefit of our readers I would like to clarify the type of stretching appropriate to warm up and cool down and the reason why.

Muscle stiffness refers to the ratio between the changes in muscle resistance and the change in muscle length. Muscle stiffness is thought to be directly related to muscle injury risk and so it is important to reduce muscle stiffness as part of a warm up.

Research has indicated that only dynamic stretches - slow controlled movements through the full range of motion - decrease muscle stiffness. Static exercises did not decrease muscle stiffness.

This suggests that dynamic stretches are the most appropriate exercises for warming up and not static stretching exercises. Static stretches are perhaps more appropriate for the warm down as they help to relax the muscles and increase their range of movement.

There is no doubt that time spent on warming up and cooling down will improve an athlete's level of performance and accelerate the recovery process needed before training or competition. As a result you must regard the warm up and cool down as an essential part of both the training session and competition itself. UK Athletics and many other sporting bodies promote the use of dynamic stretching in the warm up and static stretching in the cool.

Medicine & Science in Sport and Exercise 33(3), pp354-358 (Dynamic v Passive stretching) Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol 15 (1): 98-101 (Dynamic v Passive stretching)