Is Stretching and Running Good for You?

Isabel del Barrio 6 min. of reading Running Leave a comment

One of the most common questions among runners revolves around stretching:

When Should You Stretch?
Before or After Running?
What Type of Stretches Should You Do?
Does Stretching Before Running Improve Performance?

Without a doubt, this topic generates a lot of controversy, and you’ll find divided opinions. In this article, we aim to clear up any doubts and provide recommendations on when to stretch and which types of stretches are most beneficial at each time.

Index

1 Should You Stretch Before Running?
2 Should You Stretch After Running?
3 When Is the Best Time to Stretch?
4 Stretching Routines
5 Conclusions
6 Recommended Bibliography

Should You Stretch Before Running?

Yes, it’s recommended to do dynamic stretches, as suggested by scientific literature, to prepare and activate your body without over-relaxing it.

Before running, we want to prepare muscles, tendons, and joints for the upcoming activity, to perform better and avoid any injury caused by poor movement.

Before starting any type of training, we must not skip the warm-up phase:

General warm-up to raise body temperature slightly, mobilising major joints and mentally preparing for the workout.
Specific warm-up focusing on the movement patterns and muscle groups involved in the workout.

In running sessions, the warm-up should be done in the same way, and the warm-up should represent about 10-20% of your session time, possibly including some running technique drills.

When we talk about stretching, people usually think of static or passive stretches (where the muscle is lengthened and relaxed, holding the position for at least 20 seconds).

The key point to know is: passive stretching should not be done before running.

Impact on Performance

The article ‘Impact of Stretching on the Performance and Injury Risk of Long-Distance Runners’ reviews all the scientific literature regarding the effectiveness of passive stretching (static or passive) on the performance and injury risk of endurance runners (those running more than 5 kilometres, according to the article).

The aim of the study is to determine whether static stretches have a positive influence on running performance, and whether they help prevent soreness or injuries typical of endurance runners.

Here are the main conclusions from the review:

Static stretching is not proven to be a useful or effective tool for warming up in endurance runners.
The literature suggests that acute stretching does not enhance performance in endurance athletes and may even decrease running efficiency.
Prolonged stretching may reduce muscle-tendon stiffness, decreasing the efficiency of generating elastic energy during the muscle’s stretch-shortening cycle.

If muscle-tendon stiffness decreases, acute stretching reduces the stability of structures and consequently decreases force production. As a result, mechanical efficiency declines and oxygen consumption increases: Lower Performance and Higher Energy Expenditure.

Moreover, if done right before the session, it can inhibit performance in sprints, vertical jumps, and reduce explosive actions.

Some recent studies on the negative effects of static stretching in warm-ups suggest that these effects can be reversed if specific sport-related exercises are included.

Warm-Up Alternatives

Start with 5-10 minutes of very light jogging to warm up.
Do joint mobility exercises, focusing on ankles, hips, and knees.
Introduce dynamic stretches for hip flexors, glutes, soleus, calves, and the posterior chain.
Incorporate some running technique drills.

The article ‘Warm-Up Strategies for Sport and Exercise: Mechanisms and Applications’ suggests that for medium to long-duration activities, a general warm-up of 5-15 minutes at 60-70% of VO2 max, followed by less than 5 minutes of rest, is ideal. Afterward, a specific warm-up with 4-5 sprints or short distances at competition speed and power exercises should be included.

Should You Stretch After Running?

No, and once your run is over, it’s best to wait a while before doing a stretching session to relax the muscles.

In this case, passive or static stretches will help restore muscle elasticity, relax the nervous and muscular systems, and improve flexibility. You can also introduce specific stretching sessions throughout the week for about 15-20 minutes, and even use tools like the Foam Roller to enhance relaxation, improve blood circulation and oxygenation, and thus accelerate recovery between training sessions.

When Is the Best Time to Stretch?

You can also introduce micro-stretching throughout your workday, mobility exercises, or even before bed…

This way, you’ll not only improve muscle quality and flexibility, but it’s also a way to relax and prepare your body for better rest.

Stretching Routines

For specific stretching sessions, it’s ideal to find a quiet place where you can relax and enhance your stretches.

Always start with deep breathing exercises, maintaining longer exhalation periods than inhalations. This will help activate the parasympathetic nervous system.
If you have time, start with a foam roller to give a deep massage to different areas of the body before starting static stretches. This will not only help relax the muscles but also improve joint mobility.
Hold each static stretch for 20-30 seconds, using your exhalation to deepen the stretch.

Include at least one stretch per muscle group in your routine, and focus more on the muscle groups most active in running: glutes, soleus, plantar fascia, and the iliotibial band. Don’t forget to stretch your upper back and relax your abdominal area.

Conclusions

Static stretching immediately before a running session or race negatively impacts performance and running economy (by decreasing tendon stiffness, thus reducing the ability to store elastic force).
It also doesn’t seem to reduce the risk of chronic injuries typical of runners, which are usually caused by training volumes and intensities.
However, static stretches should be included to improve flexibility, particularly in recovery sessions.
Dynamic stretches during warm-up appear to have a positive effect on performance.

Recommended Bibliography

Baxter, C., Mc Naughton, L. R., Sparks, A., Norton, L., & Bentley, D. (2017). Impact of stretching on the performance and injury risk of long-distance runners. Research in Sports Medicine, 25(1), 78–90. https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2016.1258640
Bengtsson, Victor et al. “Could the negative effects of static stretching in warm-up be balanced out by sport-specific exercise?.” The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness vol. 58,9 (2018): 1185-1189. doi:10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07101-8
Kay, Anthony D, and Anthony J Blazevich. “Effect of acute static stretch on maximal muscle performance: a systematic review.” Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise vol. 44,1 (2012): 154-64. doi:10.1249/MSS.0b013e318225cb27
McGowan, Courtney J et al. “Warm-Up Strategies for Sport and Exercise: Mechanisms and Applications.” Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 45,11 (2015): 1523-46. doi:10.1007/s40279-015-0376-x
Simic, L et al. “Does pre-exercise static stretching inhibit maximal muscular performance? A meta-analytical review.” Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports vol. 23,2 (2013): 131-48. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0838.2012.01444.x

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