Stretching Before Exercising Weakens Muscles

Khemisty writes "Back in grade school you were probably taught the importance of warm-up exercises, and it's likely you've continued with pretty much the same routine ever since. Science, however, has moved on. Researchers now believe that some of the more entrenched elements of many athletes' warm-up regimens are not only a waste of time but are actually bad for you. The old presumption that holding a stretch for 20 to 30 seconds — known as static stretching — primes muscles for a workout is dead wrong. It actually weakens them. In a recent study conducted at the University of Nevada, athletes generated less force from their leg muscles after static stretching than they did after not stretching at all. Other studies have found that this stretching decreases muscle strength by as much as 30 percent. Also, stretching one leg's muscles can reduce strength in the other leg as well, probably because the central nervous system rebels against the movements."

Comments

Re:Importance of warm-up

[SpectreBlofeld]

Shut up, fatty virgin.

Re:Muscle Cramps?

[Anonymous Coward]

Whenever I took swimming lessons as a kid, we stretched to avoid muscles cramping up in the middle of the water. I would take tired muscles over a leg cramp mid-stroke any day of the week.

You should have been warming up and not stretching.

Also when I lift, I would rather be a little weaker than having my arm freeze up as I lift a barbell over my head.

Barbie dumbells don't apply. Personal insult notwithstanding, again, it's the warmup. I've been lifting for nineteen years (squats, deadlifts, weighted pullups, etc) and I do very little stretching. I do, however, walk the treadmill briskly for five minutes before my workout begins and then progressively increase weight on each exercise until I hit my working set range.

I don't think I ever had the impression that stretching makes me stronger, just protects me from cramps and overextending. Has this been proven/disproven? I'd be shocked to see so many years of sports medicine overturned by something that could be easily determined through statistics acquired by anyone working out.

Off of the top of your head provide a cite. My money says that you're just parroting what you've been told. Go ahead, quickly google something up and post a link.. then I'll rip their methodology and experiment setup into tiny pieces.

And.. if you're into anecdotal evidence.. read Pavel Tsatsouline and learn how to deadlift. Check out his (non-existant) warmup routine.

Re:Exercise? What's that?

[mcgrew]

Well obviously anonymous coward nerds and moderator nerds have a lot more physical stamina than they have a SENSE OF HUMOR.

Grow up.