RADIO: For Runners, Static Stretching May Be Outdated
I'm kind of bummed that NPR no longer lets you embed their audio on blogs - they do however allow you to download segments as MP3s for easy classroom use!
Be sure to listen to this interesting story from All Things Considered talks about new research on stretching (probably old news for those of you in the know, but this old athlete had no idea)...
Dan Pereles is not only an orthopedic surgeon who treats lots of injured runners, he's also a runner himself. And for most of his career, he practiced and preached the value of the pre-run stretch.
But a few years ago, the Maryland-based doctor started to notice that committed stretchers weren't necessarily preventing injuries — at least with the type of stretches they were doing.
In his recent study, supported by USA Track and Field, he recruited about 3,000 runners and divided them into two groups. One group was instructed to do 3 to 5 minutes of static stretching before each run. That is, they stood in one place and stretched their quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles.
"It's the classic way of stretching," Pereles says.
The other group of runners was instructed not to stretch before runs. Both groups had a mix of men and women of different ages who ran varying speeds and distances. At the end of three months, Pereles found that 16 percent of all the runners had sustained an injury. But it turns out the stretchers fared no better than the non-stretchers.
"I was surprised actually that the stretching didn't prevent injury," says Pereles. "But that's just the way it was. There was absolutely no benefit."
At the same time, the researchers in Pereles' study spotted an interesting trend among runners who'd been in the habit of stretching before the study began: Those who were put in the "no-stretch" group sustained more injuries during the three-month experiment.
"So if you're used to stretching, you should still do it," Pereles says. And if you've had prior injuries, stretching seems to reduce the risk of repeat injuries.
Be sure to listen to this interesting story from All Things Considered talks about new research on stretching (probably old news for those of you in the know, but this old athlete had no idea)...
For Runners, Static Stretching May Be Outdated
by ALLISON AUBREY
October 13, 2010
Maggie Starbard/NPR
Peter Sherry, the head cross country coach at Herndon High School in Virginia, says he doesn't allow any static stretching on his team.
Dan Pereles is not only an orthopedic surgeon who treats lots of injured runners, he's also a runner himself. And for most of his career, he practiced and preached the value of the pre-run stretch.
But a few years ago, the Maryland-based doctor started to notice that committed stretchers weren't necessarily preventing injuries — at least with the type of stretches they were doing.
In his recent study, supported by USA Track and Field, he recruited about 3,000 runners and divided them into two groups. One group was instructed to do 3 to 5 minutes of static stretching before each run. That is, they stood in one place and stretched their quadriceps, hamstrings and calf muscles.
"It's the classic way of stretching," Pereles says.
The other group of runners was instructed not to stretch before runs. Both groups had a mix of men and women of different ages who ran varying speeds and distances. At the end of three months, Pereles found that 16 percent of all the runners had sustained an injury. But it turns out the stretchers fared no better than the non-stretchers.
"I was surprised actually that the stretching didn't prevent injury," says Pereles. "But that's just the way it was. There was absolutely no benefit."
At the same time, the researchers in Pereles' study spotted an interesting trend among runners who'd been in the habit of stretching before the study began: Those who were put in the "no-stretch" group sustained more injuries during the three-month experiment.
"So if you're used to stretching, you should still do it," Pereles says. And if you've had prior injuries, stretching seems to reduce the risk of repeat injuries.
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