Warming Up

Is warming-up More Important Than Stretching Before Physical Activity ? It almost goes without saying that athletes should stretch before playing or working out. But, a surprising amount of new research is questioning that belief and challenging the notion that stretching is effective in improving performance. Surprisingly, there is little scientific evidence to support that supports the performance benefits theory of stretching. In fact, recent research has begun to demonstrate that stretching prior to physical activity actually decreases performance.

Researchers at California State University, Chico observed the effects stretching had on vertical jump technique and performance. After a 3 minute warm-up on a stationary bike, one half the subjects rested while the other half performed a series of stretches. Results indicated that over half the subjects in the stretching group decreased jumping performance following stretching. The researchers note that decreasing muscle stiffness is primarily related to increased muscle temperature and not the effect of stretching. Furthermore, stretching during the warm-up period for dynamic physical activity may be counterproductive to vertical jump performance. It was concluded that warming up the muscles prior to activity was more beneficial than stretching before activity.

Source: Knudson, D., Bennett, K., Corn, R., Leick, D., and Smith, C, Acute Effects of Stretching Are Not Evident in the Kinematics of the Vertical Jump, JSCR Vol. 15(1), 2001, p. 98-101.