usatoday.com2004 03 28 cdc stretching x.htmOpen ↗
I thought this might interest some. It's funny how the study
makes an exception for dancing and gymnastics, because it
requires a great deal of flexiblity (like most sports
don't?). Then it says flexibility is "not an important
variable" for hockey; now that's even funnier. My opinion is
that, yes, even if an athlete stretches, they are bound to
overexert themselves, perhaps moreso. It seems to be a
question of exertion and the relative degree. A person who
doesn't stretch may overexert to an extent which injures
them and wouldn't hamper the more flexible person....in
those cases I would assume beyond a doubt that to be more
flexible is better than not, unless you just don't bother to
"go for it" in most sports. My guess also is that proper
stretching improves coordination and reflexes, a
prerequisite to avoiding a lot of injuries. The article
omitted what kinds of sports were studied, although it
implies hockey was covered and what injuries happened.
Slamming out of control into a barricade while on iceskates
or any sport where heavy impacts are routine seem like a
difficult thing to prevent. How long one plays should also
be a factor. Overexertion is a bad thing no matter how
relatively healthy one is. Anyway I'm not a doctor or a PT
but their findings seem like......a bit of a stretch!