PLCrane
09-04-2002, 04:22 AM
I always suspected this; despite what sifu said. Maybe you guys already know about this.
PLC
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Stretching Does Not Prevent Exercise-Induced Muscle Soreness
By Keith Mulvihill
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 30 - Contrary to widely held beliefs, stretching before or after exercising does not prevent muscle soreness, according to a report by Australian researchers.
"We found clear evidence that stretching...does not prevent muscle soreness," lead author Rob D. Herbert, from the University of Sidney, told Reuters Health. "There is also quite strong evidence that stretching does not reduce injury risk--although the generality of this finding is unclear," he added.
In the study, Herbert and co-author Michael Gabriel reviewed English language studies published between 1949 and 2000 that investigated the effects of stretching before and after exercise on muscle soreness, risk of injury and athletic performance.
The team found five studies that used control groups in their protocol, according to the report published in the August 31st issue of the British Medical Journal. The studies included a total of 77 subjects.
The authors found that the magnitude of benefit from stretching was small and most athletes probably would not find it worthwhile to use stretching as a means of preventing muscle soreness.
"By pooling the data from five studies we have shown with quite a high degree of certainty that stretching does not decrease soreness," Herbert said.
The researchers note that it might be useful in future studies to investigate whether long-term stretching among athletes reduces the risk of injury.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Domhnall MacAuley, from The Queen's University of Belfast in the UK, and Dr. Thomas M. Best, from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, comment that the current findings "are contrary to what many athletes and coaches believe and what is common practice."
However, the editorialists add that "these findings may not be too surprising if we consider the complex mechanical properties of biological soft tissue and their response to cyclic loading." Still, it may "be that research evidence is incorrect and that there is some, as yet unproved benefit."
BMJ 2002;325:468-470.
PLC
--------------------------------------------------
Stretching Does Not Prevent Exercise-Induced Muscle Soreness
By Keith Mulvihill
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Aug 30 - Contrary to widely held beliefs, stretching before or after exercising does not prevent muscle soreness, according to a report by Australian researchers.
"We found clear evidence that stretching...does not prevent muscle soreness," lead author Rob D. Herbert, from the University of Sidney, told Reuters Health. "There is also quite strong evidence that stretching does not reduce injury risk--although the generality of this finding is unclear," he added.
In the study, Herbert and co-author Michael Gabriel reviewed English language studies published between 1949 and 2000 that investigated the effects of stretching before and after exercise on muscle soreness, risk of injury and athletic performance.
The team found five studies that used control groups in their protocol, according to the report published in the August 31st issue of the British Medical Journal. The studies included a total of 77 subjects.
The authors found that the magnitude of benefit from stretching was small and most athletes probably would not find it worthwhile to use stretching as a means of preventing muscle soreness.
"By pooling the data from five studies we have shown with quite a high degree of certainty that stretching does not decrease soreness," Herbert said.
The researchers note that it might be useful in future studies to investigate whether long-term stretching among athletes reduces the risk of injury.
In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Domhnall MacAuley, from The Queen's University of Belfast in the UK, and Dr. Thomas M. Best, from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, comment that the current findings "are contrary to what many athletes and coaches believe and what is common practice."
However, the editorialists add that "these findings may not be too surprising if we consider the complex mechanical properties of biological soft tissue and their response to cyclic loading." Still, it may "be that research evidence is incorrect and that there is some, as yet unproved benefit."
BMJ 2002;325:468-470.