Curious of the science behind stretching on a scientific level. What exactly is happening to our body when we do it? How does our body recognize stretching in a manner to increase mobility vs “overdoing it” and potentially tightening or immobilizing part of our body (to an extent)?
Google searches have just led me to a plethora of links talking about how many benefits there are etc etc but not really science behind it. Like IS it really beneficial? How long would it take to to actually have some legitimate mobility/flexibility increases?
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Muscles contract because a whole bunch of very tiny levers all switch from one position to another. When you relax, they go back to their first position, but sometimes not all of them to. When you stretch, you’re pulling the sticky ones back to their start position, so the muscle can return to its original length. This is good for you, because if some of the tiny levers get stuck in the “closed” position for a long time, then you can’t move as much because your muscle can’t ever return to it’s full length.
Manual therapist here: when we stretch, we aren’t actually stretching our muscles. We are stretching our *nerves*. Or rather, we are training our nerves. There are proprioceptors in our muscles and tendons that sense when a muscle is being overstretched, and those sensors will tell the muscle to contract in order to keep it safe. (when you visit the doctor and they tap your knee with a little hammer and the knee jumps? that’s an example of the myotatic stretch reflex in action!) Slow, consistent, careful stretching can, over time, train those proprioceptors to let go and trust the muscle will still be safe.
As far as it being beneficial, that really depends on the individual. Hyper-mobile people, or people with conditions like Ehlers Danlos, will benefit more from strengthening than stretching. Also professional body builders, or people who require a certain muscle tonicity in order to do their activity proficiently and safely will not need stretching as much, at least not static stretching. For most of us, especially sedentary folk, stretching can be very beneficial in regards to improved range of motion and pain management, but as you said, if overdone it can lead to injury. I recommend clients stretch a muscle between 30 seconds to 2 minutes and no more, and only after they are already warm from activity.
Stretching has always been a metaphor for overuse of body parts. It’s not the actual concern of stretching; it’s the idea of what would cause hypothetical cause of stretching.
Who knew my muscles were full of tiny levers? Time to oil them up and get stretching!
Who knew my muscles were full of tiny levers?! Time to oil them up and get stretchin’.
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