Stretching and injury

It's the mantra of the exercise gurus everywhere: Stretch before you exercise, stretch after you exercise, and you'll avoid injury.

Sounds like good advice, but a growing body of research suggests it's wrong.

While stretching doesn't seem to be harmful in general, it typically isn't worth the time or effort, said Dr. Stephen Thacker, co-author of a new study examining research on stretching.

"It's not so much that stretching will injure you. It's that it doesn't do anything," he said.

At issue is whether the stated purpose of stretching -- to boost flexibility, thus reducing the chance of injury -- is ever actually accomplished. U.S. researchers set out to find the answer by examining six previous studies that explored the benefits of stretching.

They report their findings in the March 2004 issue of the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

"What we found was that stretching prior to competition or other physical activity did not prevent injury," said Thacker, director of the Epidemiology Program Office at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We also found that stretching prior to activity could have a bad effect. You might not jump as high or run as fast."

Thacker acknowledged his study didn't look at two areas where stretching might be beneficial -- in the short periods between competitive events and during physical therapy.

But the time between competitions doesn't have much to do with typical exercise, he said. "That's not right before you're going to go run your 5K or play in your basketball game," he added.

Overall, the researchers said there isn't enough firm evidence to recommend stretching or fully reject its usefulness.

But they did find plenty of evidence that warming up -- actually exercising muscles instead of stretching them -- helps boost flexibility and performance. "If you're a jogger, start slow," Thacker said. "If you're a golfer, start with some easy golf swings."

Related Articles

• Belly Fat and How to Beat It
• How to Fight Fat and Win (Members Only)
• The Maximum Muscle Plan (Members Only)
• The Myth about Muscle and Your Metabolic Rate

Reference
Thacker SB, Gilchrist J, Stroup DF, Kimsey CD Jr. The impact of stretching on sports injury risk: a systematic review of the literature. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2004 Mar;36(3):371-8