Sports rules stretching exercises before training rather unhealthy?

Warm up before exercise: Stretching the muscles before exercise is detrimental?
Regular exercise is healthy and helps, among other things, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. For many athletes it is normal before training to first stretch their muscles. Is that really useful? Or even harmful?

Regular exercise is healthy
Experts agree that regular exercise is healthy and, among other things, helps reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease such as hypertension or heart attack. In addition, athletes suffer less often from obesity or obesity.

However, when it comes to stretching, there is no consensus among professionals. Some say that stretching before exercise makes sense and that you can prevent muscle soreness by stretching. Others disagree with such theses.

Many athletes first stretch their muscles before starting to exercise. But one hears again and again that this is more harmful than good. Experts know what's really right. (Image: gpointstudio / fotolia.com)

Damages stretching before training?
Although stretching is known to be important for the motor function of muscles and tendons, it is often said that stretching before exercise is more harmful than protective. Is that true??

The sports physician Prof. Hans-Georg Predel from the Sport University Cologne said in a message from the news agency dpa: "Stretching, which deserves the name, should be done best after a short warm-up phase and then after training."

Increased joint range increases the risk of injury
Extensive stretching before the actual training increases the joint range. As a result, some athletes hurt only faster because the tension in muscles and tendons is missing. According to the expert, this loss can even reduce athletic performance when it comes to disciplines with power or speed, for example.

Predel's colleague Prof. Ingo Froböse pointed out in an earlier report that stretching is even counterproductive in some sports and that it is usually sufficient to warm up the exercise typical of the sport slowly and with low intensity. For example, you should walk a bit more quietly while jogging for the first five minutes.

Never stretch the cold muscle
According to sports scientists, one should generally never stretch the cold muscle. However, a few stretching exercises before the workout are okay, if before a short warm-up program was completed. After exercise, the muscles are warmed up properly, then it may be according to experts also an extensive Dehnprogramm. This promotes blood circulation in the muscles and makes the body more flexible. (Ad)