Pre-Running Rituals – Stretching – Part 1

To stretch or not to stretch, that is the question. When we ask runners if they stretch, the majority say yes. However, they have no idea why they are doing it, just that they have always done it and always plan on doing it. Below, we are going to ask ourselves the following questions: why are we stretching? Are we stretching correctly? And should we be stretching more? Firstly, we must look at why we are stretching.

Why?

Great question, the answer generally is, “I always have done”. It is often ingrained into us when we are kids and we are told, “you must stretch otherwise you get injured”. When we break it down to the science behind it, when we stretch, we are trying to lengthen the muscle or tissue to increase end of range motion.

This aims to increase flexibility and mobility, and ultimately performance. Does regular stretching increase end range of motion? Well, yes. However, do we need end of range motion when we run?

Are we stretching correctly?

With so many different variations to stretching, how do we know what we are doing is correct? What we need to consider is the difference between the two most common types of stretching – static and dynamic.

Static – holding end of range position for a certain amount of time

Dynamic – a movement-based stretch aimed at increasing blood blow and loosening muscle fibres

Should we be stretching more?

This completely depends on how much you are currently doing! The most important aspect to consider is whether your immobility is either preventing improvements in athletic performance, or is your immobility creating or increasing risk of injury?  If so, then maybe you will have to stretch more! Below we are going to talk through some rules that should be followed when stretching to ensure you are using your time efficiently.

Static vs Dynamic

I am sure if you do stretch, you have tried a combination of both types of stretches, but which is best for you and your body? The consensus and the research points towards dynamic stretches being better for the body prior to exercise. Because of the movement focus with dynamic stretches, we increase blood flow and circulation to the tissue, which increases the amount of oxygen available to be used for athletic performance.

The more O2 available, the better. Static stretching before exercise has been shown to inhibit the amount of force a muscle can produce – if the muscles and tendons are too mobile, they lose the ability to contract and function to produce force.  In a nutshell, myself and major authors including The Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports suggest avoiding static stretching before any exercise that involves any amount of explosive force, running at any speed is included in this category.

Earlier, I mentioned that static stretching aims to increase end range of motion. This is vital for athletes such as gymnasts who need this type of flexibility to perform at the highest level.

It is true that some amount of flexibility is integral to developing a full gait cycle, but for the majority of recreational middle-long distance runners, end range of motion isn’t a barrier to performance, we simply aren’t running fast enough.  Sprinting is an obvious exception!

Where in the warm-up should stretching be included?

Imagine for a moment that your muscles and tendons have similar properties to that of a piece of Blu-tac. If you have some Blu-tac then great, put some in your fridge for a few hours.

Now, if you take your Blu-tac out of the fridge and try to stretch it, what happens? If you haven’t got any Blu-tac let me tell you, it snaps very quickly. Stretching when you are cold does the same thing.  

To increase mobility, we must have an increase in internal body temperature to increase the pliability of the muscles. Therefore, if we roll out of bed, drive to Parkrun and then start to stretch, we are doing more harm than good.

How do we increase the pliability of the muscles without causing injury? Very easily, a 5-10-minute bout of walking, then jogging, then running will slowly increase your internal temperature. So, before we stretch, make sure you have a gentle pulse-raising warm up to get your muscles ready to move.

Stretching after exercise

Should we be stretching after exercise? Again, this completely depends on your sport and what limits performance and causes injury. Many runners stretch after they exercise, but why? What are we trying to achieve?

If we are looking to aid in recovery and remove lactic acid to reduce muscle soreness, then stretching is not for you. The only proven constant in removing lactate is massage, as the physical pressure being put though the muscles moves the lactate towards the lymphatic system for removal. If you are thinking ahead, not to improving your recovery from one run to the next, but to improve over time, then stretching after exercise can help!

When we exercise regularly, over time our body adapts to the stress the body takes, bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons etc all get stronger in preparation for the next bout of exercise.  This takes time to happen and stretching regularly after exercise has been proven to help remodel the muscle fibres that have broken down during exercise, improve tissue strength, alignment and potentially increase blood flow. Remember – the more O2, the better.

To conclude, to stretch or not to stretch? If you are going to stretch at all, make it specific to your chosen activity.  With running:

• avoid static stretching beforehand as this may decrease performance
• only start a dynamic stretching programme once you have already warmed up the tissue
• static stretching can increase performance, not from one run to the next, but over time
• to reduce the effect of muscle soreness, massage is the only proven way. If you can’t afford a massage after every run, then dig your foam roller out of the cupboard!

I hope this helps. As you can see, there is some efficacy towards stretching, but make sure you develop a structure to what you are doing. Stretch the right way, at the right time, to make sure you are getting the benefits from your time.

Good luck!

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