Most columns focused on advice geared toward injury prevention will note the many techniques that can be put into practice. Some may focus on improving one’s form, still others may stress a need to give your body the proper time to rest, and a vast majority will highlight the importance of properly stretching your muscles prior to engaging in any kind of physical activity.
However, new research has revealed that an intensive stretching regimen may not actually hold the myriad benefits purported. While the information should certainly not lead all athletes to simply cease engaging in stretches prior to a physical action, it’s interesting to consider what the study could mean for the future of injury prevention.
The research hails from Bispebjerg Hospital’s Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen. In arriving at their findings, researchers analyzed the results of 25 studies involving over 26,000 people who took part in a variety of physical activities. As part of these studies, the participants were either asked to engage in or refrain from some exercises. Researchers then looked at injury rates among those athletes.
The results were quite interesting, starting with findings related to stretching. There were three studies analyzed that specifically sought to determine whether a given stretching regimen could help reduce injury rates. Among those three studies, the results were such that there was no correlation between stretching and a lowered risk for injuries.
The team is quick to note that the data is limited but that, in its current form, they can’t show any benefit to injury prevention by stretching. On the other hand, the results were quite different when paying attention to balance-promoting exercise. The thought is that these types of exercises can improve joint health, and the results seem to weigh that out. It was discovered that persons who submitted to such training had a 45% lower injury risk.
Strength training was similarly shown to have benefits for those athletes who engaged in it. Among such persons, the risk of injury was reduced by a whopping 68%. It appears that taking the time to make muscles stronger can go a long way toward promoting overall good health.
In the case of both strength and balance training, the reduction was similar for both acute injuries and injuries that can be attributed to overuse. Rather than alighting upon any specific piece of advice, those behind the study acknowledged that athletes should focus a lot more on the techniques they execute when engaged in certain actions. Staying within one’s limits and perfecting landing, for example, can help reduce injury threats.
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