Will Stretching Before Exercise Help Prevent Injury?

Prevent Injury

STRETCH!

By Glenn Gray, M.D.

We’ve all heard it before; stretch before you work out.  But how many of us do it? Seriously, how many of us actively perform an effective routine before every workout?  I’m not talking about an exaggerated yawn or ten seconds worth of arm swings.  I’m talking about a strict, consistent routine of specific stretches aimed at specific high risk muscle groups.

    Who has got time for all that, right? Granted, pre-workout stretching adds more time to a workout session.  However, it is time well-spent, as the benefits reaped far outweigh the risks of not stretching.  Stretching your muscles before working out is worth the extra time.

   Pre-workout stretching can reduce one’s risk of injury, especially when weight training. In fact, proper stretching may even help prevent some injuries caused by heavy weight lifting.

    It is especially important for those who have used anabolic steroids, as medical studies show steroid use makes muscle tendons less elastic.  Steroids have been found to have physiological effects on collagen.  Collagen may be thought of as the support beams that give tendons their strength.  If these beams are weakened, the tendon is more apt to tear.  

    It’s like pulling on an old rubber band. The rubber band becomes less elastic and snaps easily.  Stretching can aid in keeping tendons resilient, and thus make tendons more tolerant of heavy stresses.

    As a result of this decreased elasticity, steroid users are more prone to injuries such as complete or partial tendon tears as well as avulsion fractures.   An avulsion fracture occurs when a muscle contracts so forcefully that the tendon is pulled off its attachment to the bone. These are serious injuries often requiring immediate surgery to re-attach the tendon.  The rehabilitation following surgery is lengthy and can keep an athlete out of training for a year or more.

Avulsion fractures occur more frequently in these areas of the body:

*  the pectoral tendon where it attaches to the upper arm near the arm pit;

*  the patellar tendon where it attaches just below the kneecap;

* the biceps tendon where it attaches to the forearm.  The most common of this group is the biceps tendon.  When injured, the bicep detaches from the forearm and rolls up the arm towards the shoulder like a window shade.

   Both athletes and non-athletes alike can benefit from stretching these injury-prone areas. However, regardless of which muscle group you are stretching, it is important that you do so correctly. There is definitely a right way and a wrong way to stretch.

   Before beginning any serious stretching program, one must first learn how to stretch.   The key to stretching is that it should be slow.  

   Don’t bounce and don’t overstretch! Both bouncing and overstretching can be quite damaging to muscle tissue, and therefore, defeat the purpose of stretching, which is an increase in overall flexibility.

    Bouncing can cause microscopic tears in the muscle tissue.  The tears will fill with non-elastic scar tissue, resulting in an overall decrease in muscle elasticity.

    Think of muscle tissue as a piece of taffy.  A steady, constant tension over a period of time will allow the muscle to give slightly, then lengthen.  A sudden, abrupt movement, however, is ineffective and can actually be detrimental.

    Physiologically speaking, our muscles are equipped with protective receptors that sense if a muscle is being stretched too quickly or too forcefully.  If this occurs, the muscle will reflexively contract.  This is called the stretch reflex.

    In order to better understand the process, imagine a doctor tapping your knee with a hammer.  Actually, he is tapping your patellar tendon.  The tendon senses the tap as a slight stretch and the quad contracts reflexively.  The result is an involuntary kick.

    When stretching, I suggest you move to the point of tightness, then ease back slightly. Maintain the stretch at this length for about a minute.  Give the muscle time to relax, then lengthen.  Don’t rush it!  Breathe deeply as you stretch.

    Proper stretching can be enjoyable, easy and feel good. It can help you mentally prepare for a workout.  As you become more flexible, your movements will become more fluid.  You may actually feel more graceful!  But more importantly, proper stretching plays a major role in preventing injury to the musculotendinous structures of the body.  So get stretching!