Stretching Mid-run causes injuries/fatigue?

Ok let me see if I can help. There is no evidence that suggests stretching prevents injury, if anything stretching is an added stress on tendons and ligaments.

I can't post a link but I am aware that there is research being conducted on the negative impact of stretching on running economy. That tight tendons return energy better than loose well stretched ones and allowing less energy to be used while running.

Now for the fatigue issue muscle strength is compromised after stretching this is more applicable for strength training but could apply to running. Especially when a crucial running muscle like your gastrocnemius or soleus are stretched mid run.

and I would tell her that the physiology journal and the exercise physiology journal probably have conflicting data. Plus can runners be held to the same standards of the average folk?

sorry if this is hard to read it's late.

Must you give your whole life story to ask a simple question?

Pey wrote:

Must you give your whole life story to ask a simple question?

Must you take a minute of your valuable time to type and post a response that adds nothing to the discussion?

I must

The only people I ever see stretching during a run are fat people in beginning running groups or fat charity runners.

If you have to stop and stretch during a run when you are supposedly warmed up already, you have other issues that need to be addressed.

Waddle on.

I seem to remember Paula Radcliffe stopping to stretch during the Olympic marathon.

This is interesting because I have always thought the same thing!

I have been injured after stretching not once but three times.

I think she had a cramp, rather than simply having muscles that felt tight.

Maybe the real issue is that your wife does not know everything......and she may be screwing up her clients. She needs to learn new techniques obviously....

If you are tightening up while you are running, try to relax....something is going on with the way you are running and you need to change that, not just stretch and then go back to what you were doing.

What your problem basically is, is the lack of activation of specific fibers in your muscles.Your body is very efficient in that it only activates the minimum fibers that your body needs to complete the gait cycle which you are carrying out repetitively during running.Stretching is actually a bad way of trying to activate these muscles... basically because a lot of the muscles become deactivated and are stretched and damaged. Progressive Dynamic exercises would be better before doing a run... Exercises which involve similar movement patterns to running but which slowly open up your range of movement.This practice of dynamic exercises is common among elite athletes but not as much in recreational runners for a number of reasons.Research has shown that Static stretches cause micro-tears in muscles before during and after running. http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0396.htmhttp://www.runworks.com/about2.htmlPersonal trainers are fed old material in courses which are generalised and not made specific. Its a case of where a little knowledge can be harmful.However there isn't enough research to say its harmful so stretching manages to remain in the mainstream. http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/325/7362/468I'm a Sports scientist/runner and I know that a lot of the research needs to be interpreted carefully. Balance the science with your own intuition and develop your knowledge about the basic principles about how your body functions.On the one hand you have elite sprinters who do weights to activate and recruit as many muscle fibers as possible before they sprint and on the other hand you have recreational runners who just run slowly and repetitively and the body slowly shuts down fibers which aren't being activated enough.If you want to be a healthy active recreational runner, theres no need to stretch, but there is a need to keep a good level of activation in all your musculature by doing dynamic exercises, some free weights and maybe some cycling and swimming now and again if possible.its more fun anyway... who wants to stand around adopting all different kinds of poses and positions when it'd do more for you to do something more active...The advice would be a little bit different for fast high level middle distance or even distance runners who might be able to do seperate Active Isolated Stretching sessions, where muscle activation is emphasised

Passive stretching doesn't do anything for the functional range of motion.

Next time you are tired, tight, or fatigued try this:

1. Exaggerated Knee Lift: Basically high knees while you are running at your normal pace.

2. Exaggerated Hip Extension: "Butt Kickers" while you are running at your normal pace.

3. Strides: Exaggerated hip flexion while you are running at your normal pace.

I did the above during the 11 mile mark of my marathon PR in 2006. Afterwards I felt refreshed. Yes it looks silly, but it is effective because you are able to dynamically stretch the muscles through a more functional range of motion and you are able to change up the recruitment pattern for a short time.

As far as calf tightness is concerned. Stop and perform single leg calf raises on the crub. Then perform ECCENTRIC single leg calf raises (slightly bent knee).

Everyone should also do the 4 exercises above before EVERY run as part of a warm-up. Proper warm-ups reduce injury and soreness. You should also include some hip mobility drills (sumo side to side squats, over/unders, etc).

Stretching doesn't do anything for someone who doesn't already have biomechanical issues. Mobility and dynamic drills will.

Alan

I've been dealing with a case of runner's knee off and on for a while now. Supposedly the underlying causes are weakness in my inner quad (VMO), tight hamstrings, and some overpronation.

In order to address the tight hamstrings, I have to stretch, but traditional stretching seems to irritate the back of my knee even more.

So I've switched to dynamic stretching before workouts:

http://orgs.jmu.edu/strength/JMU_Summer_2000_WebPage/JMU_Summer_2000_Sections/9_summer_dynamic_flexibilty.htm

And active isolated stretching after:

http://www.amazon.com/Whartons-Stretch-Book-Jim-Wharton/dp/0812926234

Here some good videos showing the Wharton's technique:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWwu5x8jeKg

(there are 5 parts to that video)

Has it cured the runner's knee? No. But earlier this year I was out for 4 months with this freaking injury. Now, I can still feel it, but it's under control enough that I can still train at full capacity and race. That's all I can hope for.