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RE: No need for pre match stretching

Matt Staples — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 17:04:30 GMT

I think what he means is that his team didn't have any, muscle strains, pulls, cramps... type of injuries that year. As oppossed to ligament strain/tear (roled ankle, twisted knee), contusions (severe impact type injuries: black eyes, missing teath, charlie horse...), or worse broken bones, dislocated shoulder...

RE: No need for pre match stretching

ANFY B — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 15:20:14 GMT

How do you attribute a strain the the fact that an individual hasn't warmed up?

RE: No need for pre match stretching

fatboy — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 15:38:03 GMT

I coach a school 1st XV and insist that they warm up (and down) properly, but I'm not keen on static stretches. I get them to warm and stretch for the activity, so jogging, sprinting, passing, mauling etc are the order of the day.

The thinking I use is that the muscles etc need to be properly warmed up as a cold muscle won't stretch - but simply strain. For this reason, cold stretching is a waste of time and potentially harmful. (There are obviously mental aspects to warming up as well.)

I don't know whether I'm right or not, but what I do know is that last season, we didn't have a single instance of players coming off with strains etc that could be attributable to not warming up.

RE: No need for pre match stretching

TDRugby — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:16:27 GMT

I agree that static stretches are not that much use to players warming up. Only thing it will do is give the players some mental space! Otherwise they spend more time talking and you lose that time.

I like to get them to warm up with low impact movement using ball skills and then build into more intense movements that are revelent to their position.

RE: No need for pre match stretching

DanC — Tue, 29 May 2007 17:49:41 GMT

Here are a couple:

Shrier I (1999). Stretching before exercise does not reduce the risk of local muscle injury: a critical review of the clinical and basic science literature. Clin J Sport Med. 9(4): 221-7.

Bracko, M.R. (2002).Can stretching prior to exercise and sports improve performance and prevent injury? ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal 6 (5): 17-22, Sep./Oct.

Or look at this link:

http://www.safetypages.com/articles.htm

Dan

RE: No need for pre match stretching

cjp — Tue, 29 May 2007 17:30:58 GMT

Very interesting.

Matt, do you have any links to the research you mention. It would be very interesting to read the studies. The danger otherwise is that debates such as these are all rather anecdotal.

What you say does tie in with some things I have been reading from American Football where I gather the emphasis has been shifting from elaborate pre-practice stretching to conducting movements that will increase the core body temperature of each player before practice begins. Warming up, literally. Basic stretching of big muscle groups, esp legs, is still advisable, writes Coach Tom Bass (25 yr NFL coach).

This is where we need the input of top athletics coaches who will be decades ahead of us (like the NFL guys).

Chris

RE: No need for pre match stretching

DanC — Sun, 27 May 2007 14:09:34 GMT

No one says that you should step straight off the bus and onto the pitch. You need to get your mind in tune and some of that will include game specific movements. Rehearsals if you like to get things in place. Getting used to the environment is important. Certainly static stretching and to a certain extent dynamic stretching are not a vital part of this.

RE: No need for pre match stretching

Matt Staples — Fri, 25 May 2007 18:20:52 GMT

Stretching is sooooo misunderstood it amazes me. There is indeed a body of research about stretching, the jist of it is, don't do it before training or playing any kind of sport!!! It reduces power output (makes you slower and weaker), and makes you more likely to sustain an injury not the reverse. In fact researches have trouble showing that stretching has any benefit whatsoever to the athlete! They can't even show that increased flexibility results in a decrease in the incidence of injury. This is really hard for people to accept, I think its one of those things that gets ingrained into our heads. If everybody believes it, how could it be wrong? How could we not stretch? We have always stretched. Everybody knows that you have to stretch or you'll be sore the next day!! BS!!!!! Not true! Myth, Myth, Myth.

When you think about whats going on at a tissue/cellular level durring a stretch, it becomes much easier to accept. I believe that there are benefits to stretching for the athlete and the exercise scietists will tease it out, eventually. It is clear however that stretching BEFORE activity is simply wrong. Stretching after activity, I think in the futere will be better understood, and may be a productive activity.

RE: No need for pre match stretching

Tony Allen — Fri, 25 May 2007 14:34:11 GMT

This sounds a bit spurious. What evidence suggests one doesn't need to stretch before a game? if you've been sitting in a coach for 3 hours to get to a game or commuting through rush hour traffic to get to a practice, I think stretching is vital if only to help you get yourself prepared mentally.

No need for pre match stretching

DanC — Fri, 25 May 2007 11:01:53 GMT

Lots of evidence against dynamic stretching et al making any difference to injury prevention and performance before a match. What do others think? That does not mean warm ups are not important, but do we need to stretch like we have done traditionally?