That might sound a bit inflammatory since we have been telling people for years not to stretch “cold”. When we look at the research around this topic, we may not want to spend 5-10 minutes of time doing cardio before we stretch…some of this information has adapted the Corrective Exercise Specialist Static Stretching text from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). I have expanded on it and added in some of my own personality to it. When I am delivering workshops for NASM to health, fitness performance professionals, corrective exercise specialist and coaches, this topic usually comes up.

It is typically suggested that a client should “warm-up” before you stretch. 1,14 This is supposedly to increase the temperature of the tissue which will make it easier to lengthen the targeted muscles. .1 However, supportive evidence is not very conclusive and much of it has been done passively on animals and at unrealistic temperatures.1,14,16,34 Research has shown that both ice and heat can each improve ROM respectively35 as well as when applied collectively.36

Moreover,recent research has shown that that both passive and active warm-up prior to
stretching does not significantly increase the effects of stretching alone16,36 and
may not have a major impact on the viscosity (resistance to stretch) of tissue as is believed.34

In a recent study, Magnusson and colleagues34 observed that though a warm-up consisting of 10 minutes of running at 70 percent of VO2 max did in fact elevate tissue temperature, it did not change the tissue’s viscoelastic properties. In this study how ever the subjects performed four 90 second static stretches. This begs the questions, was it the warm up or the increased time under tension that increased range of motion? .34

Five stretches for 90-seconds each is not a realistic for most athletes, be they recreational or elite and three sets of 45 second hold static stretches, the results were not as favorable. 13

So the question is what do you do before you stretch to make stretching more effective??? Here is a hint…

Thanks for reading!

Eric Beard
Athletic Performance Enhancement Specialist
Corrective Exercise Specialist
theericbeard.blogspot.com
www.ericbeard.com

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