|
Stop Hobbling Around Like a Geezer! Stretch to Avoid Stiff Muscles |
|
|
|
|
Written by Superhuman
|
|
Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
|
Eccentric exercise involves contractions as the muscle lengthens. It is also known as …
negatives or lengthening contractions. Muscles have a large capacity to generate force during eccentric exercise, which can lead to muscle damage and delayed onset muscles soreness (DOMS). Forty years ago, Dr. Herbert DeVries from the University of Southern California showed that stretching after eccentric exercise reduced muscle tone and muscle stiffness and promoted recovery. This research has been largely forgotten. Many fitness experts discourage stretching as a warm-up and even minimize it as a component of physical fitness. Portuguese researchers found that stretching after eccentric exercise reduced muscles stiffness and helped restore the normal range of motion. Stretching did not reduce post-exercise muscles soreness, but it did promote normal function. This study showed that we have a lot to learn about the role of stretching in physical fitness programs. (International Journal Sports Medicine, 28: 590–594, 2007)
|
