How Did Stretching Before a Workout Get a Bad Reputation?

After having been nearly universally accepted as a helpful step in physical activity, research into static stretching before a workout showed that the practice can reduce muscle power, strength, running speed, balance and other performance capabilities for a short span of time following the practice. This research was extensive and trusted.

An analysis of all static stretching before a workout studies showed that the average performance dropped about three to five percent afterward. Though that may sound like a minor difference, in the world of competition, where less than a second can determine who wins, the difference is enormous. Therefore, much of the physical activity world went on to accept that this type of warm-up wasn’t helpful, and the practice was widely removed.

Did the Studies Show the Complete Picture?

As it turns out, they might not have. Therefore, static stretching before a workout is now easing its way back into practice again, during certain conditions at least. Taking a second look at the research outcomes and examining the studies involved in the meta analysis, additional context was gained.

When the studies were pared down to include only those in which the participants did static muscle stretching before a workout as a part of a full warm-up, the results looked completely different. Therefore, when lower-intensity exercises were performed before some static stretches for less than one minute per muscle, then moving on to higher-intensity exercises or sports, the impact on performance was nearly undetectable. For instance, there was only a 0.15 percent reduction in sprint speed. That’s tremendously lower than the 3 to 5 percent reported from the broader and more generalized analysis.

The studies that had indicated a poorer performance were those that asked athletes to stretch for far longer than they typically would have. A professional athlete’s stretches would have been, on average, between 12 and 17 seconds per muscle. However, the majority of the researchers had asked study participants to stretch for far longer, so that the routine was up to 20 or even 30 minutes long. That was far longer than the generally accepted practice. Moreover, the decreased results were recorded only when exercise was started immediately following the stretch. The effect was short-lived and performance levels would return when athletes waited a moment before going full-blast into their exercises.

Should You Be Stretching Before a Workout?

It’s completely up to you. That said, if you do begin static stretching before a workout, it’s important to do so properly. Make sure you’re doing a complete warm-up before the stretches begin and keep each muscle’s stretch at under 60 seconds. If you still find that your performance isn’t where you think it should be, consider supporting your exercises with the best supplement for energy that you can find.