Static vs Dynamic Stretching: What's best for warm-up

A good coach knows that every training or workout starts with a standard warm-up routine, usually consisting of a stretching session. I still vividly remember as a kid playing tennis and basketball, wherein the team captain would lead stretching and the rest of the team would form a big circle with the captain/leader stretching an arm or an out-stretched leg and counting “1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8” with the chorus of “8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1” coming from the rest of the team. If you share the same memory as me, then you had been doing Static Stretching in your childhood. If you get to watch live sports in arenas or stadiums, and get to see the athletes usually in some corner of the arena doing a sort of rhythmic slow dance, twisting, lunging, swinging their legs, then you are witnessing the more modern Dynamic Stretching routine.

Which one is better? Are they different? Or does it even matter if you stretch or not? We try to compare the advantages and disadvantages of using Static and Dynamic Stretching during Warm Up.

Static Stretching

Coaches through the years have advocated static stretching for warm-up for 1) Prevention of Injuries and 2) Enhancement of Performance. It is composed of various techniques that gradually lengthen a muscle to an elongated position (to the point of discomfort) and hold that position for 30 seconds to two minutes. But recent studies have shown that not only is it non-beneficial for warm-up[1], it is even detrimental to performance as there is no evidence that static stretching prevents injuries. Studies have also shown a decrease in muscle stretch, eccentric strength, peak force and explosive movements.[2]

Dynamic Stretching

Coaches who are updated on the modern studies of sports performance know the importance of dynamic stretching. It consists of functional based or sport specific movements, increasing in range of motion, reach, speed and movement to prepare your body for the forthcoming physical exertion or sports performance. One objective of Dynamic Stretching is to reduce tension across the joint or around it.

Static vs Dynamic Stretching: What’s the big deal?

Let’s compare your body to a car that will run in the morning. We usually let the engine run a few minutes before moving and running slowly before going 100kph, right?! You’d be heading to the mechanic regularly if you turn on the engine and go immediately from 0-100 in less than 30 seconds! That’s the basic idea of the warm up in sports. So for you to take your muscle from a resting position, to more than 100% of its capacity during your warm-up (static stretch) is pretty much asking for trouble. 

The goal is to activate the muscles that you will be using for your workout GRADUALLY, rather than ABRUPTLY.

According to Todd Ellenbecker, Director for Sports Medicine for the ATP World Tour (Tennis)

“Research studies have shown that static stretching has been found to produce a short-lived decrease in muscle performance,” says Ellenbecker. For example, if someone does static stretching with their legs, he may not have explosive jumping ability for up to an hour after he does that stretching. With dynamic flexibility, you don’t have that loss in muscle strength.”

By elongating (stretching your muscles and holding it in that position for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, you are taking it to its limits and beyond. It is similar to taking a rubber band to its stretchable limit and holding it for a prolonged period. After you let it go (if it doesn't break), it usually doesn't go back to its normal state, but rather seems loose, limp and weak for a short while. Same goes for your muscles.

Tips and Suggestions

Keep it short

Dynamic stretches are meant to be done over a short period of time. The idea is to warm up, not to get fatigued doing it. The entire routine should not last more than 10 minutes according to Ellenbecker.

It varies on what sport/activity you will do.

There are a lot of variations on doing dynamic stretching exercises. Keep in mind the sport or activity you are about to partake in. If it’s tennis, then there will be a lot of activation on the spine, and hip area. A lot of lunging and twisting on the torso as this is the demand of the sport. This may be the same in softball and baseball. If let’s say you will be running, then the exercises will be mostly targeting the hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles.

Don’t eliminate static stretching!

While dynamic stretching/warm-up is the recommended pre-workout routine, static stretching still has a place in your workout. After training or a vigorous workout, you may feel fatigued and tight in some areas of your body. This is a good time to relieve that tightness/soreness on the particular area with a good static stretch. 

[1] GLEIM & McHugh (1997) Flexibility and its effects on sports injury and performance, Sports Medicine

[2] KNUDSON, D. et al. (2000) Acute Effects of Stretching Are Not Evident in the Kinematics of the Vertical Jump

Cheap shot or accidental hit? A scientific analysis of the Jeric Teng-Jeoffrey Javillionar incident from a Tiger and a Bulldog

The "Push", "Hit", "Contact", "Cheap Shot" or whatever term you may want to use (depending if you are a UST, NU, Teng, or Javillionar fan) on the incident that happened in yesterday's UAAP Season 76 Men's Basketball game between the UST Growling Tigers (my Alma Mater) and the National University Bulldogs (my current employer) has caused fans from all over, from UAAP hardcore fans, to students and alumni of both schools to provide their differing opinions on what really happened at the 1:19 mark of the second quarter of that fateful game.

We, as fans can only surmise on what really happened, and it may only be Javillionar and Teng themselves who can really provide the meaningful and conclusive answers as to the reasons and motives (if any) that led to the contact that clearly affected the outcome of the game and future games especially of the Growling Tigers this season.

What I will try to accomplish is to dissect the factual evidence (ala-CSI, or in this case, Nat Geo's Air Crash Investigations) based on the game video, applying my amateur-level knowledge of Physics as well as some Bio Mechanics (all provided by my years in UST). God-willingly, we can come to an objective and unbiased conclusion as to the true nature of the incident (intentional or accidental).

(1:21 2nd Qtr)

1:21 mark, Ray Parks is double teamed in transition as Teng (at the Free Throw Line) is settling on defense focused on the ball but seeing that the fastbreak attempt by NU has been stymied, stops (and looks) tries to locate his man. Javillionar is not on the screen/play.

Jeric Teng suddenly moves to the direction of the 3-point area while still focused on Parks and the ball, seemingly trying to cut off any passing lane for Parks to his shooters (scouting report?), who by this time has managed to extricate himself from the double team and threatening to make a move to the basket or make an attempt on the basket. Javillionar is still not in the picture.

1:20 2nd Qtr: At this point, we see Javillionar enter the picture. (Notice his blurred figure, indicating he is moving pretty fast) Javillionar is trailing the play so we can assume he was running at a fast pace, when he sees the following: 1) Parks getting out of the double team, and 2) the WIDE OPEN LANE. So he naturally starts sprinting to make a dive cut to the basket, and Parks seems to sense this as well as he sees Javillionar starting his dive and is in a position to pass the ball. Teng in this picture quickly realizes this as well and is about to make a fateful adjustment on defense. Notice that Javillionar's direct line to the shaded lane (arrow) does not in any way interfere with the current position of Jeric Teng. Simply put, he had an open path to the lane, was the first player to make a move in that direction and wasn't running into the path of Jeric Teng.

In this frame you clearly see the two players making initial contact. Notice that Javillionar keeps running on the same path (compare to previous frame) and Jeric Teng is now on top of the key after making a sudden sidestep towards his right trying to anticipate a Parks pass to the area (as compared to a couple of steps to the side of the free throw semi circle the previous shot indicating that he suddenly changed direction again). In the laws of physics, it is said that two objects cannot occupy the same space at any given time. At this point (though picture is blurred), you can see that Javillionar hasn't lowered his shoulder, or extended his forearm, and more importantly is not looking at Jeric Teng (indicating no intention to hit or harm). Another thing to note is that Ray Parks, from a passing position, is suddenly attempting a shot at the basket, and this catches both Teng and Javillionar by surprise.

1:20 2nd Qtr: At this point, the two big bodies have collided at high speeds, notice that Javillionar still does not have a lowered shoulder, or extended arms or forearms, indicating that he is as surprised as Teng with the contact. Unfortunately, Jeric Teng, in the nano second right before impact (and at this point) had lost his proprioceptive sense (proprioception - the ability to sense the position and location and orientation and movement of the body and its parts.) He is helpless at this point, unable to know what is up and down, left or right, thus losing control of his body to brace for the impact (ground/floor). What makes it worse is that he has his arms extended and in an awkward position. The succeeding impact on the ground is what causes the injury on his shoulder (Sorry Jeric, no push can ever pop a shoulder as you claim. But an arm on that angle that impacts the floor surely will).

In sports terminology, it was a "bang-bang" play. The action was so sudden, and took only 2 game seconds. You can watch the video above, but you still won't see what exactly happened unless you have super slow-motion video. It was a very unfortunate incident indeed, something that we don't wish to happen on any player. But in my humble opinion, it was an unintentional hit, and nine times out of ten Jeric doesn't get injured on that play. It was just a a multitude of factors that had combined and gone horribly wrong for Jeric, sort of like a "perfect storm of physics" according to my friend from DLSU Carlo Bautista. I understand the Teng's and the UST fans getting emotional and calling it a 'dirty play', add to that Javillionar having the reputation of an 'enforcer'. But fact of the matter is it was an accident that no one wanted to happen. The UAAP Commissioners Office also had just finished reviewing the video, and gave Javillionar a 'warning' for the incident. Further proof that basketball experts concluding that it was not an intentional hit.

With that, I wish Jeric Teng a speedy recovery and hopefully he doesn't miss any games and comes back 100% for the rest of the season!

Photos and Videos courtesy of the ABS-CBN Youtube Channel.