Stretching before a run does not prevent injury

Stretching before a run won't prevent an injury, a study has found.

But if you do stretch before setting out on a run, you should continue with your routine, as the study also found that runners who suddenly stop stretching are at a higher risk of injury.

To stretch or not to stretch before a run, and whether it prevents injuries, is a subject of debate among runners.

Runner and orthopaedic surgeon Dr Daniel Pereles from Montgomery Orthopaedics in Washington DC carried out a study of his own to find the answer.

Some 2,729 runners who ran 10 or more miles per week were randomly assigned to a stretch or non-stretch group before running.

Runners in the stretch group stretched their quadriceps, hamstrings, and gastrocnemius/soleus muscle groups. The entire routine took 3 to 5 minutes and was performed immediately before running, while the non-stretch group ran as before.

The study found that stretching before running neither prevents nor causes injury.

It found that the most significant risk factors were a history of chronic injury, or injury within the past four months; having a higher body mass index and switching pre-run stretching routines (runners who normally stretch stopping and vice versa).

"As a runner myself, I thought stretching before a run would help to prevent injury," said Dr. Pereles.

"However, we found that the risk for injury was the same for men and women, whether or not they were high or low mileage runners, and across all age groups.

"But, the more mileage run or the heavier and older the runner was, the more likely he or she was likely to get injured, and previous injury within four months predisposed to even further injury," he added.

Runners who typically stretched as part of their pre-run routine and randomised not to stretch were far more likely to have an injury.

"Although all runners switching routines were more likely to experience an injury than those who did not switch, the group that stopped stretching had more reported injuries, implying that an immediate shift in a regimen may be more important than the regimen itself," Dr Pereles said.

There was no significant difference in injury rates between the stretching and non-stretching groups of runners. The most common injuries sustained by the runners were groin pulls, foot/ankle injuries, and knee injuries.

The study findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons this week.

This article was published on Fri 18 February 2011