Vincent Maloba

 Effects of Stretching on Sprinting Performance Name: Tutor Name Course Number Date: Effects of Stretching on Sprinting Performance Stretching is a form of exercise, physical in nature, whereby a precise muscle or muscle group is flexed leisurely to improve elasticity and muscle tone. Therapeutically, stretching is applied to lessen cramps associated with specific muscle groups. This form of exercise is very frequent among athletes, however, when performed incorrectly, it can be fatal. Static stretching has significant benefits including risk mitigation and physical performance improvement, mobilizing muscles hence improving blood flow to the crucial areas, improving flexibility, increasing range of motion, also, the condition of the muscle fibers will improve due to the combination of strength and elasticity. However, more research continues to bring the subject of stretching theory to heavy criticism because static stretching seems to have significant injurious effects on muscles and athletic performance, terming it ineffective. There are two major types of stretching. They include Dynamic Stretching which focuses on increasing the flow of blood in the body as muscle fibers are being eased up thus based on movement. The second type of stretching is more advanced, commonly referred to as Static Stretching which includes proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF), which tends to take the joint to its final mobility range and retains it by external pressures. Depending on the form and correctness, both types of stretching are arguably effective and ineffective (Amonette et al., 2016, p. 14). Furthermore, they do not alleviate injury risks when an individual is exercising, but to some extent, it does for runners. Significant research has revealed that prior stretching increases the range of movements among athletes. Static stretching is effectively used in making intense stretches because of its ability to isolate a particular muscle group(tendon) further. However, this tends to limit the performance of an athlete because the muscle is being overstretched, then once the tension is eased, the muscle tightens up hence becoming very weak. For an athlete who is focusing on sprinting, static stretches are not recommended at any point as it hinders their power and speed. A significant amount of range of motion is usually needed for each muscle for one to take part in their daily activities (Tod, 2019, p. 26). For instance, to perform lower limbs function, the calf muscles ought to be prioritized when applying flexibility stretches. Dynamic stretching does not significantly isolate the muscle groups because it is less intense, consisting of very few movements. Additionally, this has proven to be the best as it increases the blood flow circulation in the body. As a result, the oxygen concentration is increased in the body, further improving the performance of an athlete. In comparison to static stretching, this one has much better results in the aspects of the speed and power of an athlete. It is eminent that both stretches have a positive effect gradually because they increase the elasticity of joints and muscles with flexibility, which in turn improves the depth and motion range capability of an athlete. On the other hand, sprinting refers to running at the highest possible speed, over a specified distance and time. These sprints are commonly racing over short distances such as 100 meters and 400 meters. Physiologically, due to the exhaustion of phosphocreatine in muscles and anaerobic glycolysis, an individual sprinting may not maintain their top speed for more than 30 to 35 seconds. Even though a person’s ability to sprint is largely genetic, performance may be optimized by doing exercises that target acceleration and speed development, as well as endurance in terms of tempo and speed, thus improving their strength, power, and speed. According to a study, (J Strength Cond Res 22(5):-, 2008) – stretching before sprinting affects the performance negatively. The research also revealed that performing a stretch before a 30 meters sprint brought about a notable increase in time for one to complete a particular sprint, in comparison to the time taken for one complete sprint without stretching. Additionally, a difference was noted during the stretch condition and the non-stretch of the acceleration phase, static stretching produced a negative result on acceleration because the stretch diminished the possible maximum speed of an athlete. Musculotendinous strains are among the most common injuries which are a frustration for the athletes and health care personnel. Hamstring injuries are prioritized in terms of attention because they are the most commonly occurring, joints are also prone to such strains. Flexibility improvement has been, for some time, considered the basic preventive measure of musculotendinous strains, also, stretching is as well being considered. Stretches have for a long time been thought to decrease injury and improving performance (Herbert & Gabriel, 2007), perhaps making it the most common routine recommended by medical professionals and coaches. Stretching significantly increases the engagement of tendons and muscles, which as a result increases the ability of muscle groups to absorb the energy required. Stretching has always been an important prophylactic course of action that prevents injuries. When the muscle group of an athlete is not flexible, predisposing factors for injuries related to exercise automatically reveal themselves because the tendon cannot absorb enough energy, this, in turn, leads to tendon and/or damage of the specified muscle. Besides, fatigue also remains a predisposing factor in the injury of the muscles. Medical professionals strongly recommend that stretching be applied especially among persons who sprint. Stretches tend to reduce the risks involved in sustaining injuries as well as boosting their general performance. Over the years, prior stretching has been very useful in the preparation of vigorous physical activities (Haff & Dumke, 2018, p. 35). Significant research has indicated that ballistic, static, and proprioceptive-neuromuscular-facilitation (PNF) stretching are the best and most effective ways of increasing flexibility before sprinting. An improvement in flexibility automatically assists in the range of motion of the joints, muscle endurance due to the induced stress and further leading to effective and efficient mobility, this will adversely lower the chances of sustaining injuries, as well as boosting performance. Stretching requires close monitoring by medical a professional to for them to offer guidance in different special techniques. Due to a big number of athletes and patients seeking treatment, the basic time that is required for effective application of stretching procedures is almost unattainable (Kloubec, 2017, p. 17). It is important to build stretching strategies that restrict the time and participation of physicians but offer positive outcomes. Furthermore, there seems to be little difference in the endurance effects between active and passive stretching, which suggests that physicians should recommend making patients and athletes stretch individually. The ideal number of stretching repetitions for flexibility enhancement is uncertain, although there is some indication that no additional improvement in flexibility arises after four repetitions. Body posture is also a factor that affects the flexibility of the muscles being stretched by an athlete before sprinting, hence more stress be applied in proper instruction while performing the required stretching techniques. Finally, physicians should consider implementing long-term, individual stretching services for patients and athletes requiring improved versatility, since consistent stretching programs have culminated in performance benefits sustaining several days (Kenney et al., 2019, p. 24). It should be understood by medical practitioners that autonomous stretching plans will improve versatility and sprint efficiency significantly. A heavy inquiry is still being imposed on the topic of stretching before sprinting, this is because more studies continue to reveal that stretching negatively impacts strength and running performance. There is a suggestion that sprinting performance declines at flexibility due to extreme stretching, insinuating that optimal stretch level is good for sprinting athletes (Zatsiorsky et al., 2020, p. 15). The subject is ambiguous, nevertheless, because stretching is frequently coupled with warm-up exercises, making it more difficult to assess the individual results of stretching. Combinations of activities such as warm-up, relaxing, and intensity and stability training have reduced injury, and warm-up activities comprising of intense, athlete stretching, or moist heat packs have significantly influenced results. Clinicians should also adopt a multi-component training curriculum if better efficiency is sought, although further research is required to properly address this issue. Besides, dynamic stretching may commonly be prescribed for most sprinting athletes in the period immediately before exercise, and static stretching and PNF stretching could be ideally suited for the period following training if used. If static stretching or PNF is used before exercise, it is likely to be accompanied by an interim duration, for instance 5 minutes, a dynamic stretching session, or a general warm-up before the activity to recede any possible harmful impacts on performance (Winter, 2017, p. 20). Prevention of injuries is the main explanation why sprinting athletes are stretching, there is no enough evidence to completely encourage or prevent stretching for this purpose. As with performance, it seems that extremely flexible and rigid people are at greater risk of injury than those in a relatively flexible range, but further investigation is warranted. Stretching helps enhance circulation, muscle endurance, range of motion and, as a result, enables sprinting athletes better in workouts and performance (American College of Sports Medicine & Thompson, 2020, p. 90). Stretching allows muscles to lengthen and relax, resulting in the ability to optimize muscle activity in the next exercise. Stretching also improves the circulation of the body by increasing the flow of blood around the body. Finally, the joint range of motion can also be increased by stretching. This improved range of motion allows athletes to perform better generally and in sprinting. References American College of Sports Medicine, & Thompson, W. R. (2020). ACSM's guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. Lippincott Raven. Amonette, W. E., Kirk L. English, & Kraemer, W. J. (2016). Evidence-based practice in exercise science: The six-step approach. Human Kinetics. Eldridge, J. (2015). Stretching exercises: Stimulating the sociological imagination. 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