Stretching: What is it Good For . . . Absolutely Nothing?

If you're like me, after you exercise, you spend a good ten minutes (at least) stretching all your muscles – so as to not be sore the next day. Well, The New York Times published an article citing a study from The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews regarding stretching that I thought I'd share because it has changed my opinion on the topic. The study concludes that stretching before or after a workout has little effect on either risk of injury or soreness. After reading the article and doing some research, I realized that not only was this certainly not the only study to reach this conclusion, but almost all other studies had a hard time reaching any conclusion at all.

Another study done in 2004 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise – and what it concluded was rather – inconclusive. They found that stretching "was not significantly associated with a reduction in total injuries," but also concluded that more research was needed.

So there is currently no conclusion. However, I have come to the conclusion that I no longer believe stretching will always ensure that I will not be sore, nor will it always help prevent injury. Another study out of Australia at the School of Physiotherapy at the University of Sydney concluded similar results: "Insufficient research has been done with which to determine the effects of stretching on sporting performance." There were five studies, and all reported that stretching produced small and statistically non-significant reductions in muscle soreness.

So, yet another health issue is not put to rest – but rather brought to your attention, by your inconclusive health writer, Allison Burg. Happy stretching (or not?)!