Unraveling Dynamic Stretching for Better Performance.
I have been moving and wiggling my body for most of my life. For 20+ years I was in some sort of dance class, so of course I got a couple of injuries (like the one that introduced me to osteopathy). But, for the most part I avoided career ending injuries. I attribute that to my incredible dance teachers for emphasizing the importance of warming up before training and performances.
As I have moved from dance to yoga to running to bouldering, doing proper warm ups have kept me moving well and injury free.
Now, as an OMP (osteopathic manual practitioner), I understand what my dance teachers were actually trying to teach me so many years ago! The key to a good warm up is dynamic stretching, that’s why I am obsessed with dynamic stretching.
In this article, we’ll chat about dynamic stretching, debunk myths, and reveal why it’s a must-have for anyone serious about their fitness journey.
What Is Dynamic Stretching?
Dynamic stretching (DS) is where you actively and with control take a muscle through its full range of motion. So a dynamic stretch will have an element of movement to it. We can choose what speed we move through our range of motion, which will affect how the stretch makes us feel - either soothed or energized.
Whereas with static stretching you get into a position (usually near the end range of the muscle’s length) and hold it. Ya just chill out, read a book, and wait.
Examples of static and dynamic stretches
A lunge is a static stretch, but it can be made into a dynamic stretch by adding movement.
You can turn a lunge into a dynamic stretch by lifting and lowering your knee, or by rotating your arm and torso.
Types of dynamic stretches
There are a couple of different types of DS, the one that I am referring to in this article is traditional dynamic stretching. This is where the movement of the stretch is controlled, and is either a circular/ rotational movement or a gentle swing motion.
Other types are;
active stretching where you contract the opposite muscle to trick the target muscle into cooperating;
resistance and loaded stretching where you simultaneously contract and lengthen the target muscle;
and finally the hot 80’s DS ballistic stretching, think lots of bouncing and uncontrolled movements. This type of DS is not our friend!
Benefits of Dynamic Stretching
Improved Muscular Performance:
Dynamic stretching can lead to improved force and power of muscles, as well as increased sprint and jump metrics. For athletes this means better performance and faster training outcomes.
For non-athlete movers, this means meeting your goals that much faster.
BUT, sports performance researchers (here) are still trying to figure out the mechanism that leads to improved performance. Here is a summary of their current theories (which I think are pretty darn good).
It’s thought that since DS involves an element of muscle contraction it increases heart rate, and muscle and core temperature. So DS physically warms up the body in preparation for further activity.
With this increase in muscle temperature the muscle becomes more supple and less resistant to movement. Since the muscle is warmed up it’s all juicy and ready to flow and move.
This “decreased viscosity” could lead to a reduction in stiffness (but more research is needed), making the muscle ready for action.
Since dynamic stretching is taking a muscle through its range of motion, researchers suggest that it acts like a rehearsal of the movements that will be needed later on.
Which leads us to the final mechanism of post-activation potentiation. This is a tongue twister for “the muscle is ready to go” (or the force exerted by a muscle is increased due to its previous contraction). Through DS, the brain - nerve - muscle connection is strengthened and prepped for more activity.
Enhanced Flexibility:
Dynamic stretching helps improve flexibility via decreasing muscle stiffness and by prepping the muscle to be stretched. A whole bunch of articles (outlined here) show that DS may actually be better than static stretching for increasing flexibility! Another way that researchers think that this happens is from the increase in muscle temperature.
Lower Risk of Injury:
I would love to say “Do dynamic stretching! You won’t get hurt if you take care of your body with dynamic stretching” BUUUUTT, the research is actually inconclusive. The most I can say right now is that DS improves performance which I would guess leads to a reduction in injury. But no studies have been done comparing no stretching/ warm up to DS, or which clearly compares DS to static stretching.
Increased Body Awareness:
Ok, this one is super cool.
Dynamic stretching helps us know where our joints are!
Two studies (here and here) found that participants had a better sense of joint location after DS. I would also be curious if the brain - nerve - muscle connection (post-activation potentiation) also plays a role in this increased proprioception.
Knowing where our joints are can help with sports training, and help us more clumsy folks not bump into so many tables!
Better Range of Motion:
For this we can look at muscle range of motion, and joint range of motion. Both get a boost when we get in some good dynamic stretches. As compared to static stretching, DS has longer lasting results on muscle range of motion (here). Dynamic stretching has also been shown to increase joint range of motion (here).
Range of motion is sooo important when it comes to overall health. From the osteopathic perspective motion is life. When we have a healthy range of motion (not too much, and not too little) our nerves, our blood, our muscles, our guts are at their happiest.
Enhanced Blood Flow:
Dynamic stretching is great for circulation! Other than the fact that it gets our heart rate up, muscular contractions act as little pumps for our venous blood. This means that muscular contractions gets our blood back to our heart a bit faster than if we were chilling on a beach.
Blood flow is important for delivery of oxygen and nutrients to our tissues and organs, helps us heal. Good circulation is also an important aspect of the immune system.
Why I don’t really care about static stretching
Static stretching absolutely feels good. It can be suuuuper relaxing. And just generally feels like it’s doing something, especially with that “good stretching pain”. (I remember being taught about “good pain” and “bad pain” in my dancing training. LOL, pain is pain).
One reason why static stretching feels good is because it activates your parasympathetic nervous system! Your rest and digest system. Even though it feels good to statically stretch, it almost exclusively focuses on muscle tension. Static stretching doesn't even really change the length of your muscle! (here) It really just feels good.
Also for the gossip, static stretching has been shown to have a detrimental effect on sports performance!
“Significant reductions in maximal voluntary strength, muscle power or evoked contractile properties (here called muscular performance) were recorded immediately after a single bout of static stretching”(here).
So it's not great if you're an athlete.
Static stretching definitely has its place, but as an OMP I’m a little bit more interested in your structural health (your joints), and your circulatory health (blood flow) than in temporary nervous system changes.
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Behm, D. G., Blazevich, A. J., Kay, A. D., & McHugh, M. (2016). Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism, 41(1), 1-11. doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2015-0235
Cè, E., Longo, S., Rampichini, S., Devoto, M., Limonta, E., Venturelli, M., & Esposito, F. (2015). Stretch-induced changes in tension generation process and stiffness are not accompanied by alterations in muscle architecture of the middle and distal portions of the two gastrocnemii. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 25(3), 469-478.DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2015.03.001
Inami T. (2014). Acute changes in autonomic nerve activity during passive static stretching. DOI: .
https://doi.org/10.12691/ajssm-2-4-9
Iwata, M., Yamamoto, A., Matsuo, S., Hatano, G., Miyazaki, M., Fukaya, T., ... & Suzuki, S. (2019). Dynamic stretching has sustained effects on range of motion and passive stiffness of the hamstring muscles. Journal of sports science & medicine, 18(1), 13.
Lorenz D. (2011). Postactivation potentiation: an introduction. International journal of sports physical therapy, 6(3), 234–240.
Magder, S. (1995). Venous mechanics of contracting gastrocnemius muscle and the muscle pump theory. Journal of Applied Physiology, 79(6), 1930-1935.
Mizuno, T. (2019). Effect of different stretch amplitudes of dynamic stretching on joint range of motion. The Journal of Physical Fitness and Sports Medicine, 8(3), 137-142. DOI: 10.7600/jpfsm.8.137
Moradi, A. A., Rajabi, R., Minoonejad, H., & Beyranvand, R. (2015). The immediate effect of dynamic stretching of Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Gastrocnemius muscles on the knee joint Proprioception. The Scientific Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 4(2), 86-96.
Opplert, J., & Babault, N. (2018). Acute effects of dynamic stretching on muscle flexibility and performance: an analysis of the current literature. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-017-0797-9
Power, K., Behm, D., Cahill, F. A. R. R. E. L. L., Carroll, M., & Young, W. A. R. R. E. N. (2004). An acute bout of static stretching: effects on force and jumping performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(8), 1389-1396 DOI: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000135775.51937.53
Walsh, GS. (2017). Effect of static and dynamic muscle stretching as part of warm up procedures on knee joint proprioception and strength. Human Movement Science, 55, 189- 195. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.humov.2017.08.014
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