Stretching for the long run. Smarter, not harder.

ash
May 12
4 min read

by Jamie Hinton (Sports Massage Therapist and Student Physio at Kinetic Sports)

Stretching seems to come and go in waves. Certainly in my daily routine, but also in popular culture and in sports-science, coaching and therapy practice. If I had a pound every time someone said to me “I know I should stretch more, but...” I’d have solid, regular passive income from it! But, should we stretch more? I have one physio influencer telling me static stretching has no place in modern fitness, and another telling me that 2 hours of static stretching (every night..) is the lynchpin of their athletic abilities!

So, what does the evidence tell us? Does stretching actually do anything? Can it prevent injuries? Can it improve performance? When should we stretch and what type works best for endurance athletes? And what’s with those stretches your massage therapist does?!

Does it actually do anything? The evidence says, yes. But perhaps not in the way you thought. The predominant mechanism is now thought to be neuromuscular. Stretching seems to increase our tolerance to stretch, rather than physically lengthening the muscle in a meaningful way. That means it's our nervous system that's adapting more than the tissues themselves. Over time, this increased tolerance will improve your range of motion (but it almost certainly won’t suddenly improve your marathon time!). And the awesome news is, you can get the majority of neuromuscular benefits from just 8 minutes of stretching per week! Although, the sweet spot appears to be holding each stretch for about 3 minutes a-time, after which the physiological (though not necessarily psychological) benefits drop off.

Runners performing a quad stretch after a run

Does it prevent injuries? If you’re picturing those old-school static stretches before PE class, the answer is probably… no. At least not in the short term. A raft of research has shown that static stretching before exercise does little to reduce injury risk. In fact, pre-run stretching might slightly reduce muscle strength and power if held too long leaving you open to injuries. Injuries in endurance sports are far more closely linked to load management, running form, recovery strategies and strength training. However, over the longer term, it certainly helps. And not just by improving range of motion, there is actually a growing body of evidence that we can meaningfully increase muscle strength through ‘time under tension’ leading to something called “stretch-mediated hypertrophy” (bonus!).

Can it improve performance? Again… probably not in the short term. In fact static stretches pre-run can reduce power output and running economy. The tension built up in tendons might actually be part of the magic ‘spring’ that helps a highly trained runner perform. Dynamic stretching prior to a workout or race, however, can absolutely prepare you for performance. For example, a lunge with overhead reach or a banded hip opener is more likely to help you power up technical climbs or descend with better joint control than chatting away to your mates in a hamstring stretch. Also, over the longer term, strength stretching (remember stretch-mediated hypertrophy!” and training through full range can improve mobility and control in ways that drastically improve performance.

Ok, so when should I stretch, how, and for how long? So, we’ve already established that we shouldn’t be doing static stretching before a workout. But there is a place for it, as well as other kinds of stretching - so here’s a nice simple way of thinking about different kinds of stretching:

Pre workout: Dynamic Stretching to warm up, activate muscles, and prepare joints. Examples include leg swings, walking lunges with overhead reach, high knees with arm drive, calf lowers, A-skips, and the World’s Greatest Stretch (Google it!). These movements activate and prepare your body for the challenges of the trails such as uneven terrain, sudden gradient changes, and the need for rapid accel/deceleration.
Post workout: Static stretching to cool down, reduce tension, enhance relaxation. E.g. Seated hamstring stretch, standing calf stretch, pigeon pose, hip flexor stretch, and quad stretch. These target the major muscles that take the most strain during intense runs, helping to enhance flexibility, release tension, and aid in recovery. You might supplement these with foam roller or self trigger point work.
Rest & Recovery days: Mobility and strength stretching to improve control & flexibility, build end-range strength. E.g. Deep squats, eccentric calf raises, banded hip stretches, seated forward fold, and glute bridges.
During sports massage: Fancy stretching! During a sports massage, your therapist might use various kinds of active and passive stretching alongside myofascial release, trigger point therapy, and active release to reduce tightness, improve flexibility, and enhance muscle recovery. These are often combined with deep tissue work to target muscle knots and improve range of motion.