Can Stretching Help You Lose Weight?
When it comes to sports performance, today’s fans are separated by two things: Their views on stretching, and their favorite Manning brother.
As if we need more controversy surrounding stretching (or mention of “Peyton vs. Eli in the Manning Bowl!”…), I want to draw your attention to the findings of a pretty applicable study published in this month’s issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. (FYI, so does Michael, since he assigned it as the topic of discussion for this month’s Journal Review!)
Because static stretching prior to anaerobic exercise has been shown to decrease power output and subsequent athletic performance, researchers set out to determine whether the same might hold true for aerobic exercise. And when the effects of pre-workout static stretching on running performance were tested on 10 male endurance runners, researchers found that 8 of the 10 subjects were able to run a greater distance in 30 minutes when they did NOT stretch prior to the run.
They also noted another interesting finding: 8 of 10 subjects also burned MORE calories when they stretched prior to running. This makes perfect sense, given that the decrease in force production due to less muscle stiffness after stretching – which likely explains the performance decrement – caused an activation of more motor units to perform the same work, translating into greater energy expenditure (and the earlier onset of fatigue).
Now, forget for a second that the sample size was incredibly small (only 10 participants) and the fact that the subjects were all male (Females are generally more flexible, and the relationship between flexibility and energy expenditure is not apparent in women. Can you tell I’m taking Research Design this semester?!). This study highlights one of the most important variables in training: Specificity.
Based on these findings, the answer to the question posed in the title might be, Yes. So if your reason for running is weight loss (We’ll save the controversy surrounding this topic for another day…), stretching beforehand could actually help you toward your goal. But if you’re an athlete with proper length-tension relationships and performance-related running goals, your stretching approach should probably change.
(For anyone interested, check out the findings of this larger study from USATF, which found no increase in injury risk with pre-run stretching. In fact, runners who normally stretched before their runs saw increased injury risk when they stopped their stretching routines.)
In light of current discussions about stretching, I think it would be interesting to see how the performance results would compare if these men were to perform a dynamic warm-up after the static stretches but prior to running. It would have also made sense to include a third trial in which the men performed only dynamic stretches, so that the effects of static, dynamic and no stretching on running performance could all be compared.
In any case, the bottom line is this: As with all variables in a training program, the strategy should be determined by the goal – and the same rings true of stretching.
Filed under: exercise research, fat loss, sports, stretching, workout tips
