Why Stretching Is Important
By Katlyn Hagley
I don’t need to stretch today. I don’t have time to stretch today. Stretching makes me weak. I’m not flexible. I don’t want to be flexible. Stretching hurts. I don’t want to stretch today.
We’ve heard it all. Every excuse in the book to skip a post-workout stretch. However, static post-workout stretching is equally as important to training as the formal workouts themselves and should be made a regular, consistent part of any track & field athlete’s training plan.
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
Within the muscular and skeletal systems, the human body is comprised of an interconnected network of bone, muscle, tendon and fascia. A common misconception of track athletes is that when they practice, they are solely building or refining their muscle mass. Although muscle development is a key area of focus, anytime an athlete performs a physical task, she is also applying a force to her bones, tendons and fascia. Think of just the arm movement of a shot put thrower. The muscles in the weight bearing hand and arm engage. When the thrower begins the “push” motion, the muscles in the hand and arm are activated, applying a force to the tendons attached to the bones. Together the muscles and tendons manipulate the bones, thus creating the energy for the arm to begin to move away from the body. As with every physical activity, the muscle, tendons, bone and fascia are stressed.
A healthy amount of stress on our muscular and skeletal system is optimal for maintaining the structural integrity of the muscles, maintaining bone density and maintaining a healthy range of motion in the muscles and joints. But what happens when an athlete continually stresses a muscle in one way (i.e. continual contraction or “loading” of the muscle)? When only one type of force is applied to a muscle over a period of time, the muscle fibers can become tightened and shortened.
When a muscle tightens and shortens, it increases the amount of stress applied to the connecting tendon and bone. Continual stress on a tendon or bone can lead to a loss of range of motion in the joint, or even a fracture of the bone or tear in the muscle or tendon. In addition, when a muscle becomes tight, the fascia becomes tight. When the fascia surrounding the muscles become tight, stiff or sticky, the muscles get stuck. This not only creates additional stress to the muscles, tendons, bones and joints, but also interferes with the signals transmitted through the connective tissue. Fascia transmits signals 200 times faster than the nervous system (Heed, Functional Anatomy for Yoga Teachers 3, 2016). When the fascia is not properly stressed and stretched, the messages passed through the muscular, skeletal and nervous system may be impaired.
Post-workout stretching is an easy way to prevent too much loading stress on the muscles, tendons and bones. When we hold a single posture for an extended period of time (i.e. 30 seconds to 1 minute) we are applying a different type of stress on the muscles; a stretch. When stretching, the fascia and muscle fibers are elongated, increasing the muscle flexibility and range of motion in the connecting joint(s). Decreasing the loaded stress on the muscle by stretching helps the athlete reduce the likelihood of muscle, tendon and bone injury and also helps reduce muscle soreness. After an athlete properly stretches, the body will be better prepared for a healthy force applied the following day, helping to maintain the structural integrity of the muscular and skeletal system.
HYDRATION
We’ve all heard about how important it is for an athlete to be properly hydrated. A properly hydrated athlete has better focus, can regulate body temperature more effectively and can maintain energy levels for optimal performance. Good hydration is also important for proper lubrication of joints and tissues. A properly hydrated tissue can transport nutrients more effectively, helping the tissue maintain its integrity and reduce injury. Of course, the number one way to stay hydrated is to drink water before, during, and after exercise. But an easy and often overlooked method to optimal muscle hydration is post-exercise prolonged static stretching.
Prolonged stretching increases the amount of water a muscle can absorb and maintain (Summers, Foundations Module 2nd Edition, 2018). When the muscle fibers are elongated and stress is released, so is water. When the muscle returns back to its relaxed state (i.e. when no force of either stress or stretch is applied), the muscle is able to absorb more water than previously held. Think of applying force to a sponge by squeezing it underwater. Squeezing the sponge releases the water. Even while under the running water, the sponge does not absorb the water while the force is still applied. It is not until the force is released (letting the sponge return to its natural state) that the sponge will be able to absorb more water. The act of stretching and then releasing the muscle back to its natural state will increase the muscle hydration, as long as the athlete continues to hydrate his body.
When a muscle has proper hydration, it can rebuild and heal itself more efficiently. It can perform for longer before fatigue, cramping and injury occurs. The next time you are planning aworkout or creating a training plan, schedule time daily for post-workout stretching to help make prolonged stretching a routine part of any practice.
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We’ve heard it all. Every excuse in the book to skip a post-workout stretch. However, static post-workout stretching is equally as important to training as the formal workouts themselves and should be made a regular, consistent part of any track & field athlete’s training plan.