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The Debate on Stretching Stretches On

March 13, 2008 4:22 pm 1 comment

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The New York Times’ Gina Kolata, picking up where her colleague Anahad O’Connor left off two weeks ago, goes straight to the bottom line on the benefits of stretching before or after exercise. And the bottom line is: No one knows. Yes, there have been many studies, but no, none of them are widely applicable, and when the studies are studied, Kolata tells us, "no one really knows whether stretching helps, harms, or does anything in particular for performance or injury rates."  To drive that point home, Kolata cites an official government review by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
published in the March 2004 issue of the journal Medicine & Science
in Sports & Exercise. Its conclusion, says Kolata: The research to date is
inadequate to answer most stretching questions. Geezer’s conclusion: People should stretch if they want to stretch; and they shouldn’t stretch if they don’t want to stretch.
Read more about what we don’t know about stretching in the New York Times.

1 Comment

  • Cody Limbaugh, NASM-CPT
    March 17, 2008
    1:22 pm

    To Stretch or Not to Stretch? That is the question…The Problem with that question is that it is too general. To what kind of stretching are you referring? Static stretching (20-30 second holds), dynamic (moving through a controlled range of motion), partner assisted? What type of exercise are you engaging in? Cardiovascular? Heavy resistance? Functional? What about the specific muscle imbalances of the individual?
    I think the benefits of stretching have been demonstrated beyond reproach but random stretching of a muscle that may be long and week to begin with is going to produce different results than stretching a short/tight muscle.
    This sort of reporting that is such a generalization of a much more complex subject just serves to further propagate misinformation and confusion of the general population. I think it is irresponsible to tell people to “not stretch if they don’t feel like it”.
    I believe a better solution is to seek guidance from a competent health and fitness Professional that is more likely to analyze the “studies” from a more specific/educated point of view, and provide practical solutions for the individual. My advice to those seeking fitness knowledge- consider the source. Please don’t put your own health in the hands of the media or the government!

    Reply

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