Stretching - how do you know when it is "painful"?

neeb

Sounds like a really silly question, I know!

The standard advice on stretching seems to be to do it far enough to "feel the stretch" without going so far as for it to be "painful". However It seems to me that there is pretty much a continuum and it is a bit difficult to decide at what point what you are feeling is actually "painful" or just, well, a bit of an aching feeling that is not so unbearably unpleasant. Or should I just assume that if it is not definitely painful that it is OK?

jocksyboy

When it gets to the point that you feel you should stop. basically . then rest then try to see if you can go further. You want to feel the stretch but not damage the tendons or muscles.

SteveR_100Milers

If this helps, I had my flexibility checked today during an exhaustive bike fit, and learnt I have about 110 degrees of flex in my hamstrings which is poor. The pain at that angle was minimal, less than I incur when stretching, so even moderate pain is going to be experienced at angles beyond which your cycling efficiency is affected.

pjcole

Neeb,

To come up with an answer, I would first ask, "what are you stretching for?"

To prevent injuries? There's no scientific proof that stretching prevents injuries (if anyone has proof, please send me a link).

To increase range of motion? How much range do you need for cycling?

An individual's range of motion only needs to be relevant to their lifestyle, activities, sports, etc. not to anyone else or some meaningless sizing chart.

Besides, excessive range of motion without strength throughout that range is useless.

Stretching should not induce any "pain", unless perhaps you're rehabbing an injury.

neeb

Thanks for the replies.

pjcole wrote:

To come up with an answer, I would first ask, "what are you stretching for?"

Two main reasons really, firstly in the belief that it reduces muscle soreness the next day and helps recovery - I don't know how much solid evidence there is for this but it does seem to help. I only ever stretch immediately after going out on the bike when the muscles are warmed up - it feels wrong if I try it at any other time. Secondly (and I'm prepared to acknowledge that there may not be proof for this) because I'm sure it helps protect against straining of certain ligaments/tendons, especially in the knee - I've had occasional problems with inside knee pain on my right knee which I think is due to an overly tight tendon or ligament there. I think I tore it quite badly about 20 years ago and my theory is that it healed in a way that made it slightly shorter or something - in any case, I'm sure that regular foot-behind-the back-stretches help to keep this loose and reduce the risk of me straining it, just because of the way it feels when I do that stretch.

I take the point about range of motion only needing to be relevant to lifestyle, but I guess the way I see it is that the two are complimentary, especially as you get older. Lifestyle may dictate the range of motion needed, but your range of motion also influences your lifestyle. As well as cycling I also do a bit of in-line skating, but I don't have time to do it that often these days. I've really noticed since I started stretching that it is far easier to make the transition to skating if I haven't done it for several months - I have far less problem with upper leg muscle soreness due to the outwards motion of the leg, which is completely absent in cycling. It just seems that the stretching helps to prepare the muscles for unaccustomed motions, which are always going to be part of a varied lifestyle.

pjcole

Neeb,

...it (stretching) feels wrong if I try it at any other time

And it should. Stretching should only be done after an intense warm up or training. Many assume that stretching and warming up are the same thing.

For those who don't know the difference, it's a matter of intensity and range of motion.
Warming up should mimic the range of motion of your upcoming activity and be done at a high rate of intensity.
Stretching is done after warming up or training, it's done at a low intensity level and it extends range of motion beyond what your activity, lifestyle, etc would normally experience.

I'm sure it (stretching) helps protect against straining of certain ligaments/tendons, especially in the knee - I've had occasional problems with inside knee pain on my right knee which I think is due to an overly tight tendon or ligament there

"Straining" obviously can occur as a result of other things. It can also be confused with fatigue. Don't just assume it's due to a limited range of motion. Most pain that cyclists experience whether it's in the lower back or knees is usually due to an imbalance in muscle strength / development, not because of lack of flexibility.

What do I mean by muscle imbalance? Every joint has both a push (eccentric or extending) and pull (concentric or contracting) muscle movement. If one consistently uses / trains one side of that joint (consciously or not) then the under developed side will fatigue earlier (causing pain) and be more susceptible to injury.

Most people (especially athletes like cyclists and runners) who do repeated movements without training to offset the accumulating muscle imbalances, have or will have pain and injuries without question.

In your case, a previous injury may contribute to the cause of pain as a result of mechanical imbalances..

I would choose to believe that lifestyle dictates range of motion, not vice versa (baring injuries of course).

Skating requires a larger range of motion than cycling, so I can see why stretching would make that transition easier.

It just seems that the stretching helps to prepare the muscles for unaccustomed motions

I disagree. Stretching simply increases or maintains range of motion. Anytime you extend a joint or muscle beyond what it's "accustomed" to, you will sustain an injury of some degree.

**As a student for life, I reserve the right to be presented with better information at any time.

Cheers

neeb

Thanks for the information & opinions pjcole.

So do you think that stretching prevents muscle soreness / aids recovery? That's probably the main reason I do it.

pjcole

Prevention? No Recover? Yes

"DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), is the microscopic tearing of your muscle fibers that causes inflammation and swelling of the muscles, putting additional pressure around the surrounding joints".

It's currently agreed upon, that muscle damage occurs most during the eccentric part of movement. On a bike that would roughly be the down stroke (noon to 6) part of ones cadence. Soreness usually occurs 48 hrs after the damage is done.

Depending upon the extent of damage done during an exercise, an amino acid called Hydroxyproline is released into the body to help repair muscle damage. This acid is irritating to nerve endings, causing soreness. (soreness is NOT caused by lactic acid).

Soreness is a valid indication that you're body is still repairing itself.

Prevention can be accomplished by:
Warming up properly
Not trying to do too much too soon

Recovery can be accomplished by:
Proper nutrition (proteins, fats & hydration)
REST
Active recovery and stretching
No additional exercise when sore

Thanks,