Training & Nutrition - Stretching Help

I am looking for help in locating information on pre and post ride stretching (types of stretching, number of stretches, etc).

Thank you.

Check amazon.com for the book called "Stretching", which is written by Bob Anderson. It's a great book written by an avid cyclist with illustrations, and it also gives progressions so you can work to increase flexibility.

Koffee

I saw an article in either Time or US News & World Report recently about how only 6 studies have ever been done to evaluate whether stretching is truly beneficial. Not one of the studies showed that stretching enhanced performance in any sport or made an athlete less prone to injury. Kind of hard to believe. It know it seems intuitive that stretching has to help.

Thank you both for the help.

Koffee, I will check Amazon.

Stretching and Flexibility: Everything you never wanted to know. (http://www.cmcrossroads.com/bradapp/docs/rec/stretching/)

bunabayashi,

Thanks, it looks like a great site.

http://www.howtostretch.com/

And the guy is a cyclist.

Rowan,

Thanks. Just looking at the second picture makes me cringe. If I could do that I'd never get up.

http://www.howtostretch.com/

And the guy is a cyclist.

The guy has decent stretches, but the first one for quad stretches is HIGHLY contraindicated.... it is NOT recommended, as it stresses the knees, and can cause damage to the tendons.

The other stretches are fine. I still recommend the book I mentioned earlier. It's better than the website in that it gives stretches in PROGRESSION. So as you become more limber, you can advance to more advanced stretching techniques so you can become more flexible. They have illustrations and descriptions, and the guy also breaks down recommended stretches by sport.

Koffee

the evidence on stretching is as another poster mentioned somewhat controversial. There's little or no evidence to support it's use, and some evidence to suggest that it's highly detrimental to performance when performed prior to exercise. Current advice, is to warm up firs in your primary sport for at least 10 to 15 mins (i.e., to cycle) and then to continue with your cycling, or if you wanted to stretch to do it then (after the warm up). stretching post exercise seems to be fine.

ric

Ric,

Thanks, I will keep that in mind.

I haven't noticed any effect related to biking. But I did notice that when I got around 29 years old, if I didn't stretch before lifting (pushups, pullups, curls) then I was sure to hurt myself. Before that it seemed like it didn't matter.

The same seemed to be true for Taekwondo - except that I had to make sure that I stretched every day, even if it wasn't right before a workout.

But biking doesn't really seem to require any unusual extensions of muscles or tendons. I never stretch right before my rides. So far so good.

the evidence on stretching is as another poster mentioned somewhat controversial. There's little or no evidence to support it's use, and some evidence to suggest that it's highly detrimental to performance when performed prior to exercise. Current advice, is to warm up firs in your primary sport for at least 10 to 15 mins (i.e., to cycle) and then to continue with your cycling, or if you wanted to stretch to do it then (after the warm up). stretching post exercise seems to be fine.

ric

I agree. And from an online source I read:

"Repeating movements that do not employ a full range of motion in the joints (like cycling, certain weightlifting techniques, and pushups) can cause of shortening of the muscles surrounding the joints. This is because the nervous control of length and tension in the muscles are set at what is repeated most strongly and/or most frequently."

It would seem that while stretching may not improve performance in your specific sport (unless your sport demands maximum flexibility such as a contortionist, if that is a sport) maintaining flexibility is desireable for all round fitness and feelings of well-being.

I'm just trying to get the kinks out before and after a ride. As I'm starting to increase the miles (up to 20 miles) I'm concerned if the muscles are not warmed up I'll hurt myself.

Just start out at high RPMs and low speed for teh first three or four miles. Once you hit your groove, you'll know it. Then you can lay down the hammer. I've never stretched, and haven't hurt myself yet.

Yup, light stretching to get kinks out if you need to and deep, prolonged stretching to increase or maintain flexibility, which will promote overall "health" but not neccessarily on-bike performance.

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the insight and help.

yoga is a great way to get into stretching. i refer to as "stretching religiously" - and i'm an atheist - but what i mean is that it gets deeper and more relaxing and spiritual than just loosening up muscles.

one thing i always pay attention to when stretching is my breathing. breathing in is like a way to intensify the stretch without really moving any deeper and then on an exhale i can often relax a little farther in.