Stretching Research Paper

Words: 488
Pages: 2

Dr. Ian Shrier has written extensively about the pros and cons of stretching, in reference to preventing injury. He integrates data from numerous studies, and makes correlations between the factors previously mentioned. This paper used data from two of his publications, When and Whom to Stretch? (Shrier, 2005), and Does stretching help prevent injuries? (Shrier, 2013). Overwhelming evidence indicates that stretching before exercise does not prevent injury. Stretching can cause muscle tissue damage on a myofibril level, increasing the likelihood of injury. Additionally, it also reduces the muscles ability to absorb energy, having a negative effect on performance and increasing the risk of injury. There is some evidence to indicate that pre-exercise stretching may lessen the number of tendon injuries. It must be pointed out though, that while injuries to tendons are decreased the total number of injuries remains the same. …show more content…
When looking at the subject as one big picture, the conclusion must be that it does not prevent, and often increases instances of injury. There needs to a great deal more research done on the subject in which more specific factors are isolated. For instance, in the case of rehabilitation stretching has some benefits. First, stretching a muscle has an analgesic effect, thereby reducing discomfort. Secondly, in rehabilitation the stretching is actually the beginning exercise on the road to recovery. Yoga is an instance where stretching is combined with exercise, much like incorporating it into your warmup. The benefits of Yoga are numerous and have been proven. When someone engages in sports that require repetitive rotation, such as baseball, tennis, and golf they are twisting (stretching) their body disproportionately. This causes an imbalance that can increase the risk of injury. Yoga is an excellent way of balancing things