Some truths seem self-evident--like the importance of stretching before exercise to prevent injury. Too bad the scientific evidence doesn't support it.
In recent years, recreational athletes have gotten conflicting advice about how and when to stretch. But just about everyone agreed that stretching was a good thing.
Then earlier this year, a group of Australian researchers made news when they reported in an article published in the journal of the American College of Sports Medicine: "The findings of the present study clearly indicate that a typical pre-exercise stretching protocol does not produce a clinically useful reduction in injury risk."
In other words, the study says stretching before exercise is a waste of time.
People took note because the study involved 1,538 Australian army recruits in basic training, a large number of men doing strenuous exercise.
And in case you're thinking, "Well, that's just one study," consider this: In August, an overview that appeared in Physician and Sports Medicine of the research on stretching--and there's been a significant amount of it--came to a similar conclusion.
"Stretching immediately before exercise has never been shown to prevent injury," one of the authors, Dr. Ian Shrier, says about his findings. "I wouldn't say it is conclusive evidence, but overall, there is strong evidence. Some people can still argue that it might prevent injury in certain populations, for example, elite athletes; but there is no basic science research or clinical research to support this idea."
"[Dr. Shrier's] study is a particularly enlightened view," says Dr. Ed McFarland, an orthopedic surgeon and director of sports medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "But it's yet to have much impact. It's probably the truth, but the dogma we've all been sold is that you have to stretch."
Even if you believe that stretching increases flexibility, most recreational athletes have a limited amount of time to exercise and may not need a greater range of motion to, say, jog efficiently. For them, a warmup--rather than stretching--would be the best way to avoid injury.
Some research suggests that a regular stretching program--more than the five or 10 minutes recreational athletes spend before exercising--might help prevent injury.
Shrier thinks that probably is true, although, he says, the evidence so far is sketchy.
