This article is a review of the literature on the effects of stretching on sports injuries and performance. It is critical to understand that this is a review of findings, and not a new study on the effects of stretching in regards to sports injuries and performance. The methods that were used to determine if stretching made a difference in reducing the prevalence of sports injuries and performance, was a systematic review to examine the effects of viscoelastic and neural effects of stretching. Viscoelastic effects have changes in the range of motion and resistance to stretch after an acute bout of stretching. (McHugh & Cosgrave, 2010) Neural effects when stretching are refereeing to the stretch-induced strength loss. (McHugh & Cosgrave, 2010) Depending on the type, time, and duration of the stretch, the results can vary. The methods that were used in this article were to examine numerous studies on the muscles, to see if the range of motion increased or decreased based on certain types of stretches. Ballistic stretching, dynamic stretching and static stretching were all performed to see which if any, would have an effect on performance or injury. Static stretching is when you hold the stretch for a certain amount of time, with varying degrees of difficulty. (Delavier & Gundill, 2011) Statics stretches are usually done when sitting down or stationary. Ballistic stretching focuses on stretching the muscles more than they naturally would by pulling the muscles, and using small, abrupt movements that are repeated. (Delavier & Gundill, 2011) And last, but not least, dynamic stretching is stretching that can be done while you are in motion.
The summary of the results of the article focused on the effects of stretching on perform...
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...y. I do feel that static stretches should still be performed however; I would suggest that these types of stretches be performed after the activity as more of a cool-down for the muscles. I stress to all of my students that a proper warm-up is important to get the blood flowing throughout the body, loosen the muscles, and prepare the body for work. The same can be said for a cool-down activity of stretching, which could help with cramping and muscle soreness. Stretching is a great activity to increase flexibility and muscular strength and is something that I will recommend for all of my students. Although there is not concrete evidence that stretching will enhance performance or prevent injuries, the studies have shown small increases in performance, and slight declines in injuries which shows that stretching is more beneficial then not stretching at all.
Witvrouw, E., Mahieu, N., Roosen, P., & McNair, P. (2007). The role of stretching in tendon injuries. British journal of Sports Medicine , 224-226.
Pain was significantly increased with flexion and extension. Sensation is decreased in the bilateral upper extremities. Strength is decreased in the bilateral upper extremities.
“The hamstrings are a collection of three muscles located in the back of the thigh that are responsible for bending, or flexing, the knee.” (emedicinehealth.com) the three muscles that make the hamstring are the semitendinosus, the semimembranosus, and the biceps femoris.
O’Brien, Vincent. “Athletic Training.” Career information. Wellness consumer Health Information, 8 Aug. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
Kinesiology is a complimentary therapy used to identify and correct internal issues to relieve stress, allergies, and pain. Being described as a complimentary therapy, kinesiology is not meant to be a cure-all for the patient, but a secondary method of increasing positive results of the original therapy; this method however can be used as a primary or secondary form of therapy depending on the results for the patient and satisfaction with said results. During treatment the doctor tests 14 different areas of muscles balance, these major muscles and how they react are believed to uncover problems that need correction which cannot be found with any other testing (Rude Health).
There are many injuries in general, but sports injuries? Sprains and Strains are the most common injuries in sports. “Sprains are injuries to ligaments, the tough bands connecting in a joint. Suddenly stretching ligaments past their limits deforms or tears them” (Hoffman 1). Ligaments are like springs in a sense that when you stretch a spring, it will return to it’s normal state unless they are
Muscle activity, including generating force and moving limbs through lengthening and shortening, is an important influence on beneficial tissue stress. Muscles adapt quickly to periods of lower or higher stress and demonstrate obvious visual and functional changes. At a tissue level, the Physical Stress Theory (PST) states that muscle adaptations are consistent with other high and low strain tissue adaptation models. Low stress/activity associated with immobilization results in decreases in contractile protein, fiber diameter, peak tension and power. Evidence supports the idea that tissues within the musculoskeletal system atrophy and become less tolerant of physical stress if stress on the tissue diminishes below a baseline level.3 In addition,
Abstract:The purpose of this experiment is to see if the number of times somebody closes a clothespin increases with or without exercise.It is our hypothesis that if you rest first then you should be able to squeeze clothespin more times in one minute then squeezing the clothespin with exercise. In our experiment one person exercised for two minutes and then squeezed the clothespin, then after the one minute they rested then squeezed the clothespin. Our hypothesis was proven correct since the person squeezed the clothespin more after he rested.
Before you even start lifting weights, strength and conditioning coaches would advocate for players to do a dynamic warm ups instead of static stretches. Dynamic warm ups are series of sports specific movement preparing the body for maximum exertion of a workout allowing your joints and muscles to be limber as possible, while static stretching wants you to stretch out as far as you can and hold it for 15 seconds which is advocated at the end of each workout allowing the body to cool down. The reason why static stretching is advocated after your workout is because your muscles are already warmed up which allows your muscles and joints to stretch as far as possible without tearing. An example of a dynamic warm up and a static stretch is to take two rubber bands and stick one in the freezer; the rubber band in the freezer represents a static stretch and the other rubber band represents a dynamic warm up. When you take the rubber band out of the freezer and try to stretch it as far as possible it will break instantly because it is cold but the other rubber band which is warm would be super springy because it’s warm enough allowing you to keep stretching but return back to its normal state without tearing
High school football players sustain a major proportion of season injuries. A major part of these regions are due to ligament sprains, targeted stretching exercises may be beneficial. The most injured players were those with the position of running back and linebackers. In the 2005-2006 season there were more than half a million injuries nationally of high school football players. This data was collected from over 100 high school football teams.
6. REUTER G, DAHL A, SENCHINA D. Ankle Spatting Compared to Bracing or Taping during Maximal- Effort Sprint Drills. International Journal Of Exercise Science [serial online]. January 2011;4(1):305-320. Available from: SPORTDiscus with Full Text, Ipswich, MA. Accessed January 26, 2014.
There are many aspects on the study and meaning of kinesiology. Some of these ways are; applied kinesiology, kinesiology medicine research, and specialized and energy kinesiology. The study kinesiology and massage therapy is believed to go hand and hand. Many will say that without the proper knowledge of kinesiology and muscle movements, you can not provide a patent with all that is needed for a proper massage. As we approach new years, many individuals are increasing their concern in health. With the healing arts increasing in popularity, individuals don’t understand the need for well-rounded therapist. Who are trained in the science of kinesiology, which includes the technique of massage to enable them to be proficient in their field.
Evidence of lifting weights can be traced back to the origins of man. As far back as cave painting and scrolls, there exists evidence of weightlifting. Initially as an expression of strength, to competition and functional training, weightlifting has carved its path through the ages. It has taken on a new role in the modern world; athletic training. With an entirely new emphasis in sports on speed, strength, and flexibility; weightlifting is more popular than ever. Unfortunately, young athletes often do more harm than good by injuring themselves lifting. When these uneducated lifters try to jump right into a program, lifting more than they should, an injury is imminent. What is overlooked, is that when weightlifting is done correctly, it has a great potential to prevent injuries instead of cause them. Understanding how the body works, using proper technique on the appropriate lifts, and participating in regular physical activity can greatly reduce the risk of athletic injuries.
The body was designed to perform a variety of tasks while actively using muscles. Sustained muscle activity robs the muscles of life giving blood flow. It is very important to actively stretch during breaks to flush out toxins that build up in the muscles that were used for sustained posture.
Stretching is key to maintaining a healthy life throughout the years. There are so many benefits to flexibility; but because it does not directly relate to what anybody wants to hear, they go on with their fat-burning, muscle building routines. Fact is, without stretching, the results will be very slow and inefficient. The results afterward would most likely be disappointing. Flexibility is a very important part of any fitness and should not be left out of everyday life.