To Stretch or Not to Stretch? What Runners Should Know About Stretching for Injury Prevention and Performance:
I have had numerous runners over the years come into the clinic and tell me they have pain. They will then look down at their feet and admit “I don’t stretch though, so I guess it’s my own fault.” The perception that stretching is an important feature in injury prevention and recovery is pretty pervasive, but is it accurate?
First, we can look at pre-exercise stretching. It appears that following a sustained static stretch, a muscle has decreased ability to generate power. Which sounds like a bad thing. This effect, however, is temporary. And if we look in the context of a hard workout or race, it is likely that, if power is reduced slightly, the adrenaline and excitement you experience are going to offset that decrease anyway. So, if a little bit of stretching makes you feel more loose and ready to go, it’s probably safe to do. That said, you may be better off with doing something more dynamic to get your muscles warmed up: very light jogging, leg swings, gentle striders, lunges, or any other active movements that make you feel ready when you step on the start line.
What about post-activity? There are many advocates for post-run stretching as a way to reduce injury and to decrease subsequent soreness. For injury reduction, there is no consistent evidence that stretching after you run will make you less likely to get hurt. That does not mean that we can say unequivocally that it does not help. The studies done thus far are inconsistent in how they dose their stretches (how long to hold, how many times, etc.) and which muscle groups they focus on. What we can say is the trend suggests the effect on injury reduction is minimal. The trend is a little bit more positive around muscle soreness. However, the effect seems to be small to moderate in terms of how much it reduces soreness. The studies on muscle soreness and stretching are marred by the same issues with dosage.
Despite all of this information, believe it or not, I am not anti-stretching. I stretch myself. I find that after a long run, it just makes me feel better. I may be just as stiff and sore the next morning, but for that day I feel a little bit looser. And that makes it worth it. To summarize; if you stretch and it works for you, keep stretching. If you don’t stretch and have no issues, there is no reason to start. If you don’t stretch and have some issues, give it a try. It just might help. Reach out to your physical therapist for more advice on whether stretching is right for you and which stretches you should focus on to keep you moving.
See you on the roads and trails!
