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Stretching For Performance

By Greg Sterner

What is power? Force x Distance= Power. More appropriately Force (strength) x Distance (range of motion or flexibility) ÷ Time (speed) = Power. Thus, the more powerful an athlete becomes, the better one can perform athletic skills.

The four components an athlete can modify to increase power are: flexibility, speed, coordination and strength. Aaron Mattes, a highly respected Registered Kinesiotherapist (R.K.T.) and Licensed Massage Therapist (L.M.T.), created Active Isolated Stretching to improve flexibility, coordination, and posture. Active Isolated Stretching is based upon contracting an agonist muscle opposite that of an antagonist muscle that is lengthening, thus incorporating reflex inhibition to its fullest extent. Many so called “stretching experts” have long promoted a prolonged stretch up to 60 seconds, but any static stretch held greater than five seconds will in fact decrease blood flow within the tissue, which will create lactic acid accumulation and local ischemia.

The stretch reflex or myotatic reflex attempts to resist a change in muscle length by causing the stretched muscle to contract. This stretch reflex is especially active after the initial two seconds of a performed stretch. This becomes the rationale for performing stretches for only 1.5 to 2.0 seconds. The protective stretch reflex and subsequent reciprocal antagonistic muscle contraction are less active when a gentle stretch of less than five seconds is performed. Golgi tendon organs are a type of proprioceptor located in the tendon near the end of the muscle fiber. These organs along with muscle spindles act as a defensive mechanism to protect a muscle from over stretch or trauma.

As an agonist muscle contracts, its antagonist muscle is forced to relax. If this would not occur, motion about a joint would be impossible. This neuromuscular reaction is called reciprocal inhibition. Subsequent and substantial gains can be made in flexibility, thus increasing range of motion about a joint, when reciprocal inhibition can be utilized. One example using reciprocal inhibition is stretching of the hamstring muscles while lying supine and significantly contracting the quadriceps muscle of the same leg while performing a straight leg raise.

Active Isolated Stretching can be performed individually with the use of a stretch strap to passively assist the range of motion when full the barrier of active range of motion is met. Assisted stretching, performed by a certified Active Isolated Stretching therapist, can also be used to maximize results. Remember, a muscle can lengthen up to 1.6 times its resting length, but at the same time it can also tear at any length greater than this. So, use only mild assistance or overpressure at the end of an athlete’s active range of motion. Other factors that will make Active Isolated Stretching more effective are using numerous repetitions (typically 10 to 20 reps) and performing regular breathing (exhaling on the stretch) during flexibility sessions.

Active Isolated Stretching is a results and performance based flexibility program. It is a dynamic rather that passive stretching system that will pump blood, oxygen, and nutrients into fascia. Recent studies and authorities on sports rehabilitation believe flexibility is the most significant variable in determining athletic durability/longevity and is invaluable in preventing and rehabilitating musculoskeletal injuries.

About the Author:

Greg Sterner is a Licensed Physical Therapist, Certified Personal Trainer and Owner of Fitness Together-Point Loma, San Diego's premier private and small group personal training studio. Greg is also Board Certified in Orthopedics by the American Physical Therapy Association and has been a presenter at numerous seminars speaking on topics of: Sports Performance, Fitness For Bariatric Surgical Patients and Resistance Training To Prevent Osteoporosis. His websites are www.fitnesstogether.com/pointloma and www.sdpersonaltraining.net.