Stretching

Over the years there has been a lot of controversy with respect to stretching and its place in sports with performance outcome.

What do you do before exercise, practice or game?

What do you do after?

How long do you hold it? for?

What type of exercise do you perform?

The goal of this article is two fold: first we will present you with four types of muscle lengthening exercises; second we will recommend guidelines for safe and effective muscle lengthening exercises that will positively increase flexibility and decrease muscle soreness.

These are the following types:

1.Traditional

2. PNF

3. Myofascial

4. micro®.

Traditional muscle lengthening has been with us for many years. For many years coaches and trainers have held muscle lengthening exercises for as short as ten seconds to as long as thirty seconds.

The “current” traditional muscle lengthening exercise is known as 3S Stretching (Slow Static S*t*r*e*t*c*h*i*n*g) held for a thirty second count. In this exercise a proprioceptor known as the muscle spindle is inhibited from firing. The muscle spindle monitors changes in muscle length. During rapid movement of muscle elongating, a message is sent from the muscle spindle via a sensory nerve to the spine. A message is sent back from the spine via a motor nerve to the same muscle to contract. This defeats the purpose oflengthening the muscle. This is similar to a ballistic type of muscle lengthening where bouncing is involved. Thus slow static technique allows the muscle to lengthen.

MicroStretching® is an extension of traditional muscle lengthening. The stretch is held for sixty seconds repeated three times, three times a day.

It is thought that the first thirty seconds of this process affects the muscle belly and the next thirty seconds effects the fascial component of the tendon. An athlete who performs this type of exercise on a regular basis will develop a ‘stretch reserve’ such that less time is needed to stretch prior to activity.

Propriceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF). This form of muscle lengthening includes both active and passive movement. This is sometimes referred to as partner stretching. The simplest form of PNF stretching is hold/relax. The athlete contracts the muscle that needs to be stretched against resistance with no change in range of motion. The contraction is held for 6-10 seconds. After contraction occurs the muscle relaxes and the joint is taken into a new range. This process is repeated three times. Tension in muscle is sensed by the Golgi tendon organs (GTO). When stimulated the GTO causes muscles to reflexively relax.

Myofascial Stretching is a type of stretching that focuses on lengthening the ‘fascial chain’. Fascia is like saran wrap. It contains the muscle; therefore if the fascia is tight or shortened the muscle is as well. If you lengthen the fascial chain you lengthen the muscle it contains. This type of stretching is very specific and very refined. It is recommended that this type of stretch is held for one minute two or three times a sitting.

Now that we have discussed these different approaches to muscle lengthening it is time to put everything into perspective.
Here are some guidelines to follow:

1. Athletes must stretch the major muscles or muscle groups on a daily consistent basis to have any opportunity to increase flexibility.

2. Muscle lengthening must be done away from the sporting location.

3. Muscles should be held in a lengthened position for a minimum of sixty seconds and repeated a minimum of two times a sitting for a minimum of twice a day. Three to four times a day even better.

4. It is recommended that either the 'myofascial" or "Micro®" techniques are used.

5. It is recommended that before practice or game that a dynamic warm up is incorporated. There isn’t any static muscle lengthening , or standing neck, hip, knee or ankle rotations before practice or game.

Warm up prior to any event should be a minimum of twenty minutes. It is important to start slow and increase tempo of warm up to game speed. Dynamic movement and sport specific movement should be included.

Post event warm down should be a minimum of 15-20 minutes of light jogging followed by Microstretching® of the major muscle groups involved in that activity.

Athletes should focus on the major muscles groups active during their sport. In soccer some of the following muscles or muscle groups should be included in their daily flexibility program:Hip flexors, quadriceps, hamstrings, calf muscles and inner thigh ("groin").

Foam Roll

Dynamic warm up

Equipment

Yearly Medical