Swimmer Mags article on stretching ...

Through my research during the 1970s in nerve and muscle microanatomy, physiology and disease and my related public health work since, I have increasingly realized that the determined improvement possible with neuromuscular performance and repair is a field of research still in its infancy even though tens of thousands of relevant studies are published every year (far in excess of the relatively few studies of certain experimental stretch routines within a few minutes of testing leg muscle strength that are likely being over-interpreted regarding their application to Masters swimming). There is more to stretching than improving range of motion, which is itself an important byproduct of stretching for Masters swimmers (a growing number of whom are over 50 and into their 90s). With increasing age, to more comfortably and successfully accomplish the range and feel of motion to meet swimming needs, stretching serves a worthy partner with swimming workouts. Comfortably and quickly achieving range of motion is important, matters not necessarily apparent from observing a swimmer's range of motion under water. Noted by Dr. Krista Woods and her colleagues, "In order to successfully complete an activity without injury, the muscle must have the 'stretchability' necessary to move through that range without causing an increased tension/stress or load on the muscle...Pope et al concluded that poor flexibility was associated with 2.5 times the risk of injury as compared with average flexibility and up to 8 times the risk of injury when compared with high flexibility." Thus, the possible, but unproven, idea that elite swimmers may be genetically selected based on great flexibility, and thus not needing range of motion training, may not apply to most Masters swimmers. Via several mechanisms, stretching increases blood flow to muscles and readies nerves, muscles and muscle spindles to optimize and better coordinate efficient movements. Stretching also enhances proprioception - in neuroscience geek speak, a partly conscious and mostly reflexive capacity to better control required spatial and temporal patterns of nerve and muscle action. Or, more simply, a better feel or sense for swimming strokes and for the water. As the Swimmer author suggests in his commentary available on his company’s web site, inherent flexibility may be a natural selection criteria for elite swimmers and traditional stretching workouts might be detrimental. Yet established, augmenting their range of motion alone might not be necessary for added performance and protection. It might appear, therefore, that all that is needed is to do a selection of dryland muscle warm ups as noted in the article and/or warm up in the pool before a race and cut back the stretching workouts that coaches and competition swimmers have relied upon for decades. It is too early to know whether stretching is detrimental or to de-emphasize that stretching is a good thing - before, during and after swimming. Some of this stretching occurs during warm up laps in the pool through normal stroke mechanics. Some also occurs - immediately before and during a meet – outside the pool through various static and dynamic stretch routines. So far, the experimental evidence suggesting stretching may reduce strength is based on virtually irrelevant laboratory stretching protocols that have little if any practical significance. Of course, swimmers can over stretch just as they can over exert. Intense stretching just as intense weightlifting immediately before a big race is probably to be avoided as well. Neither is an intense heat immediately before another intense heat advisable for optimum performance and injury protection. Intensity has its place.

Through my research during the 1970s in nerve and muscle microanatomy, physiology and disease and my related public health work since, I have increasingly realized that the determined improvement possible with neuromuscular performance and repair is a field of research still in its infancy even though tens of thousands of relevant studies are published every year (far in excess of the relatively few studies of certain experimental stretch routines within a few minutes of testing leg muscle strength that are likely being over-interpreted regarding their application to Masters swimming). There is more to stretching than improving range of motion, which is itself an important byproduct of stretching for Masters swimmers (a growing number of whom are over 50 and into their 90s). With increasing age, to more comfortably and successfully accomplish the range and feel of motion to meet swimming needs, stretching serves a worthy partner with swimming workouts. Comfortably and quickly achieving range of motion is important, matters not necessarily apparent from observing a swimmer's range of motion under water. Noted by Dr. Krista Woods and her colleagues, "In order to successfully complete an activity without injury, the muscle must have the 'stretchability' necessary to move through that range without causing an increased tension/stress or load on the muscle...Pope et al concluded that poor flexibility was associated with 2.5 times the risk of injury as compared with average flexibility and up to 8 times the risk of injury when compared with high flexibility." Thus, the possible, but unproven, idea that elite swimmers may be genetically selected based on great flexibility, and thus not needing range of motion training, may not apply to most Masters swimmers. Via several mechanisms, stretching increases blood flow to muscles and readies nerves, muscles and muscle spindles to optimize and better coordinate efficient movements. Stretching also enhances proprioception - in neuroscience geek speak, a partly conscious and mostly reflexive capacity to better control required spatial and temporal patterns of nerve and muscle action. Or, more simply, a better feel or sense for swimming strokes and for the water. As the Swimmer author suggests in his commentary available on his company’s web site, inherent flexibility may be a natural selection criteria for elite swimmers and traditional stretching workouts might be detrimental. Yet established, augmenting their range of motion alone might not be necessary for added performance and protection. It might appear, therefore, that all that is needed is to do a selection of dryland muscle warm ups as noted in the article and/or warm up in the pool before a race and cut back the stretching workouts that coaches and competition swimmers have relied upon for decades. It is too early to know whether stretching is detrimental or to de-emphasize that stretching is a good thing - before, during and after swimming. Some of this stretching occurs during warm up laps in the pool through normal stroke mechanics. Some also occurs - immediately before and during a meet – outside the pool through various static and dynamic stretch routines. So far, the experimental evidence suggesting stretching may reduce strength is based on virtually irrelevant laboratory stretching protocols that have little if any practical significance. Of course, swimmers can over stretch just as they can over exert. Intense stretching just as intense weightlifting immediately before a big race is probably to be avoided as well. Neither is an intense heat immediately before another intense heat advisable for optimum performance and injury protection. Intensity has its place.