Chapter 16: Stretching and Warming Up

 Warm up prior to athletic performance is important to help prevent muscular injury and increase flexibility  2 Types:  General- 5 to 10 mins. slow jogging or biking. Increases heart rate, blood flow, deep muscle temp, respiration rate, and perspiration.  Increase of muscle temp. allows for greater flexibility  Specific- 8 to 12 mins. sport-specific stretches  shoulder-VB/pitcher  calf-runners  bounding-long jumpers  Optimal musculoskeletal flexibility can improve:  athlete’s performance by increasing a joint’s movement  possibly decreasing risk of injury  ROM (Range of Motion) Degree of movement that occurs at a joint  Depends on anatomical structures, activity level, age, and sex.  Flexibility is a measure of ROM  Static- DOES NOT REQUIRE VOLUNTARY MUSCULAR ACTIVITY – A Partner, gravity, or machine stretches muscle; allows for more ROM Dynamic-Athlete actively stretches muscle  Flexibility cannot be altered significantly by training:  Joint structure (ball & socket vs. hinge joint)  Age (fibrosis)  Sex  Flexibility can be altered significantly by training:  Activity level  Weight training (limited ROM during lift)  Stretching exercises  Improvements in ROM as a result of stretching are primarily due to the connective tissue adaptations.  Tendons, ligaments, fascial sheaths, joint capsules, and skin  Generally, stretching 2 x per week for 5 weeks, significantly increases ROM.  5-6 mins of general warm-up, 8-12 mins of sport- specific stretching, concluding with 4-5 mins of stretching.  Stretch should be held to mild discomfort, but not painful, for 30 secs.  Before practice & competition Improves performance by increasing available ROM and improving functional abilities.  Decreases chance of injuries, especially muscle strains by increasing elasticity (ability to return to original resting length) of muscle and tendons.  Following practice & competition Muscles temp increased b/c of increased blood flow, therefore, increasing elasticity.  Decreases muscle soreness  Static Stretch  Slow and constant with the end position held for 30 sec.  Most common, especially in sports requiring increased ROM  Little evidence shows it helps decrease injury or muscle soreness  Ballistic Stretch  Active muscular effort and uses a bouncing-type movement in which the end position is NOT held.  Increase chance of injury, especially if history of injury.  Doesn’t allow muscle to relax, therefore, not allowing muscle to elongate  Dynamic Stretch  Involves flexibility during sport-specific movements  Utilizes speed of movement, but does NOT have bouncing-type movement.  Example…sprinter walking with long strides to emphasize hip extension.  Specific  Adaption  Imposed  Demands  Def: Principle stating that if a person is put under physical stress of varying intensities and duration, the person attempts to overcome the stress by adapting specifically to the imposed demands