By Steven J. Fleck, Ph.D.
Q:
I’ve heard that you just shouldn’t stretch proper earlier than a weight-training session as a result of this can lower your maximal energy and energy. I’ve observed, nevertheless, that almost all of the research wanting on the results of stretching proper earlier than a coaching session have studied individuals with little or no stretching expertise. I’ve been stretching for years and need to know if stretching proper earlier than a weight-training session will nonetheless lower my maximal energy and energy in the course of the coaching session.
A:
You’ve made a really astute commentary. You’re right in that almost all of research wanting on the results of stretching previous to a weight-training session on energy and energy have typically targeted on individuals with little or no coaching historical past of stretching. Nevertheless, one sports activities science analysis undertaking addresses the attainable results of a stretching coaching historical past on whether or not or not stretching proper earlier than a resistance-training session impacts maximal energy and energy in a coaching session. You’ve been stretching for years; this research checked out college-aged men and women who had been stretching for at the very least 10 weeks in bodily training courses. These college students weren’t aggressive athletes, however have been recreationally energetic in all kinds of sports activities comparable to basketball, volleyball, soccer, swimming, tennis and weight coaching. So that they have been at the very least “recreationally” bodily match. In addition they had fairly good flexibility, with all research individuals having a sit-and-reach flexibility rating larger than the sixtieth percentile.
With the intention to have a look at the impact of stretching on maximal energy, the faculty college students carried out a stretching routine for the hamstrings and quadriceps muscle teams proper earlier than willpower of their one-repetition most within the knee curl and knee extension. The stretching routine consisted of 5 completely different stretches for the hamstrings and quadriceps. They repeated every stretch thrice, holding for 15 seconds to the purpose of discomfort, after which taking a 15-second relaxation between successive stretches. Your complete stretching routine took about 20 minutes. After stretching, their one-repetition most in each the knee curl and knee extension considerably decreased in comparison with no stretching. Knee curl one-repetition most decreased roughly 3.4 %, whereas knee extension one-repetition most decreased roughly 5.6 % after stretching, in comparison with no stretching.
The outcomes point out that even in individuals who have a stretching coaching historical past, stretching proper earlier than a coaching session would lower maximal energy and energy. The individuals on this research had a stretching coaching historical past of 10 weeks; you’ve been stretching for years, so there’s the chance that with an extended stretching coaching historical past, the impact on maximal energy and energy might be completely different. Nevertheless, you can also make physiological arguments both in favor of an extended stretching coaching historical past (leading to much less of a lower in maximal energy and energy) or growing the lower in maximal energy for energy, in comparison with individuals with no or a comparatively short-term stretching coaching historical past.
So, in case you have a stretching coaching historical past of a number of years and are actually concerned about expressing your maximal energy and energy, it is best to most likely err on the aspect of warning and never carry out stretching previous to your resistance coaching periods. As a substitute, carry out your stretching routine after the coaching session, because the impact of stretching on maximal energy and energy is an acute impact, and stretching after the coaching session gained’t have any impact in your maximal energy and energy within the following day’s coaching session.
It’s additionally necessary to keep in mind that the impact of stretching on maximal energy and energy solely takes place within the muscle teams which are stretched. This implies you’ll be able to stretch your legs proper earlier than an arm exercise and there wouldn’t be an impact on the utmost energy and energy of your arms. I hope this provides you some steerage regarding your stretching routine.
Reference:
Nelson AG, Kokkonen J, and Eldredge C. Energy inhibition following an acute stretch will not be restricted to novice stretchers. Res Quart Exerc Sport, 76:500-506.
