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Stretching the truth about flexibility ~By Hal Walter
Still stretching in hopes of improving performance, preventing muscle soreness and decreasing risk of injury? Now there's even more proof that you may only be stretching your imagination. A paper recently published in the British Medical Journal supports what Dr. Phil Maffetone has said for years - stretching has not been scientifically proven to provide any of these benefits. Conclusions drawn by researchers from University of Sydney School of Physiotherapy, after studying data from several sources, concluded that stretching produced statistically insignificant reductions in muscle soreness, and that stretching prior to exercising does not significantly reduce risk of injury. Furthermore, researchers found inadequate evidence to support the notion that stretching improves athletic performance. The findings correspond closely to Dr. Maffetone's clinical experience. "My observation after 20 years of experience with patients is that people who stretch are more often injured than those who don't," says Dr. Maffetone. "But for those who properly warm up and cool down, which is much different from stretching, injuries and other problems are less frequent." By warming up, Dr. Maffetone is referring to gradually bringing the body from its resting condition to higher levels of activity. Doing this slowly, say over a 10- to 12-minute period, increases blood flow to muscles, increases blood fats used by the muscles for energy, and increases flexibility in joints by gently lengthening muscles. Just as important as the warm-up is the cool-down, which, over a similar time range of 10 to 12 minutes, helps return normal blood flow to muscles, organs and glands. By contrast, stretching, especially stretches that use bouncing motions and/or gravity or other force to push any part of the body beyond its normal range of motion, can cause problems. These include inflammation as well as micro-tearing of muscle fibers which could lead to improper joint flexibility, a possible risk for injury. Dr. Maffetone also emphasizes that whole-body exercises such as yoga are very different from stretching and can yield positive benefits, including serving as a source of relaxation and meditation. "Activities like yoga can be very safe and effective when performed in slow, deliberate motions," says Dr. Maffetone. However he also stresses that beginning yoga students should be careful not to rush into yoga positions that are too advanced for their levels.
Dr. Phil Maffetone MAF BioNutrionals
This page was last edited on 06/03/2004 |
