2005/03/01 by Ian Shrier · 1 citation
Medicine · Health Professions · #Sports injuries and prevention #Occupational Health and Performance #Injury Epidemiology and Prevention
paper · doi:10.3810/psm.2005.03.61
openalex publication_date 2005/03/01 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Since the early 1980s, stretching has been promoted as a method to prevent injury and improve athletic performance. Although research suggests that this may be true for regular stretching performed every day, an isolated act of stretching immediately before exercise likely has no effect on injury prevention and actually impairs performance in strength and power sports. This article highlights our current understanding of the effects of stretching both immediately before exercise and as a regular daily routine, and then illustrates how to apply these principles in a practice setting, using brief clinical vignettes.