Getting the most out of your stretching routine

Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review

David G. Behm, Anthony J. Blazevich, Anthony D. Kay, Malachy McHugh

Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, Published on the web 8 December 2015, 10.1139/apnm-2015-0235

December 8, 2015 – The conclusions of a systematic review of hundreds of studies contradict the most common static stretching findings from the last 15 years. This research is available today in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism and the findings have been endorsed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP), Canada’s resource and voice for exercise physiology and health & fitness.

“CSEP strongly supports promoting physical activity for healthy outcomes and equally important to that are warm up routines that increase range of motion and decrease muscle injury,” says Dr. Phil Chilibeck, CSEP Chair. “The recommendation in the CSEP Position Stand is that all components of a warmup be included with appropriate duration of stretching. The inclusion of static, or Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF), stretching is recommended and has the potential to positively influence the standard warmup routines of a large number of athletes.”