Different effects
Both forms of expansion (active and passive) have different effects and are therefore interesting for different requirements. Active forms of expansion have a warm-up effect and increase the following force outputs and force gains. They also strengthen the antagonist, improve the feeling of movement and neuromuscular control.
Their tonus-lowering and tonus-increasing effect on the musculature is also an important factor. Passive forms of stretching contribute to energy savings because less muscular work is performed. They have a relaxing effect and reduce muscle tone. They have a pain-relieving effect, improve body awareness and relax the muscles.
Stretching before or after training
In general, when stretching, care should be taken never to stretch a cold muscle, always have a secure position or stand, and always go into the correct stretching position and not to move away. The stretching should also be gentle and there should be no pain. Stretching can be used before a load or after a load.
In popular sports it is often assumed that stretching after training or competition can prevent sore muscles. From a scientific point of view, however, there is no supported evidence to prove this. Experts are not sure whether stretching before a particular sport might not be counterproductive and might actually promote sore muscles afterwards.
Especially in sports where speed and maximum loads are required, such as football or weight lifting, stretching can weaken rather than strengthen a muscle. In these sports, an extensive warm-up program is usually more sensible than stretching before exercise. Warming up provides sufficient protection against injury and stretching is therefore not absolutely necessary in these sports.
For other sports stretching exercises before training or competition can be even more important. In dancing, gymnastics, gymnastics or acrobatics, stretching is important in order to start well-prepared for the competition or training session. The mobility is increased and you become calmer and more relaxed. This is a nice result especially for older people. Also in martial arts, some swimming techniques and hurdle running, stretching should be an integral part of an athlete’s preparations.
At the end
Whether stretching exercises can prevent possible muscle soreness is a controversial issue. There are no studies in which a significant positive effect of stretching exercises on sore muscles could be proven. In general, few studies have been published on the subject and in most of them no demonstrable effect has been found.
If results show a reduction in muscle soreness, this reduction is so small that it is impossible to say whether it is accidental. In some cases even an aggravation of muscle soreness was observed through stretching exercises. On the one hand, it can be deduced from this that there is no proven positive effect of stretching exercises on sore muscles.
On the other hand, stretching exercises are perceived and performed on a highly individual basis. Some people feel more comfortable with stretching exercises, and other athletes prefer not to do stretching exercises. Therefore, no general assessment and recommendation can be made as to whether stretching exercises alleviate sore muscles or not.
Every athlete should find out for himself how he copes with the different stretching forms (active-passive). Stretching exercises have many positive effects before or after competitions and training sessions, but they cannot alleviate sore muscles.
