Value of Pre-Workout Stretch Unclear

Coaches and athletic trainers often recommend stretching before a workout, but a new report suggests that there is not enough evidence to prove that stretching can prevent injury.

Stretching may turn out to have benefits, but the jury is still out until additional studies are performed, according to researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

"The current published research doesn't show that stretching helps to prevent injuries," said Dr. Stephen B. Thacker, who directs the CDC's epidemiology program office. "However, there is not sufficient evidence to either endorse or recommend discontinuing routine stretching," Thacker stated.

Although more research is needed to know whether stretching prevents injury, Thacker said that there are several things exercisers can do to prevent injury.

"Studies show that proper conditioning and warm-up can help participants avoid injury," he said. "The simplest approach is to start slowly at whatever activity you plan to do."

For instance, runners should begin a long-distance run with a slow jog before they pick up the pace, Thacker advised. The CDC researcher also recommended that people who are starting a new activity be realistic about their goals and to progress slowly.

Thacker and his colleagues reviewed more than 350 studies on flexibility and identified six studies that compared stretching with other methods of preventing injury.

Based on the review, Thacker's group concluded that that stretching improves flexibility, but there is not enough data to decide whether stretching prevents injury, according to the report.

But strength training, conditioning and warming up do seem to play a role in injury prevention, the researchers note. The findings are published in the March issue of the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise.

Several questions need to be addressed in future research, according to Thacker. He noted that "normal flexibility" needs to be defined for various activities. In addition, researchers should try to identify the best stretching routine and whether it should be performed before or after exercise, he said.

Future research should also examine the effect of stretching on injuries, according to Thacker. The CDC scientist also would like to find out "what are the best ways to prevent injuries for different athletic activities."

Another question to be answered, Thacker said, is what are the best ways to prevent injuries in different groups of athletes, such as competitive athletes versus recreational athletes and youths versus adults.

SOURCE: Medicine and Science in Sports and Medicine, March 2004.