How to perform well in your sport, how to train well and enjoy surpassing yourself without getting injured? Euro football, Paris Olympics are all showcases for high-level sport, with its athletes followed day by day, sometimes by armies of doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists… For the Sunday athlete up to the hardened amateur, it is impossible to be as good accompanied. Those with the most money turn to personal coaches, while most glean recommendations from fellow athletes, connected tools, or even YouTube, Instagram or TikTok… where good and often less good advice abounds. However, numerous scientific studies provide serious answers regarding proven methods for improving. L’Express reviews four essential themes: mental preparation, nutrition, recovery methods and what to do in the face of injuries. In this third episode, what the science says about stretching, warming up and injuries.
EPISODE 1 – Advice from science to improve in sport: the brain, an ally too often neglected
EPISODE 2 – Diets, gels, bars… What diet as an athlete? Advice from science
The scene is typical. At the stadium or in a gymnasium, while athletes are preparing, there is a lot of stretching and warm-ups. But are these actions really effective in improving performance and avoiding injuries? Reading scientific literature can sometimes be confusing, as it disrupts firmly anchored beliefs instilled at school. Thus, stretching before a sporting activity proves in the vast majority of cases… ineffective. The largest meta analysis on the subjectpublished in 2019 and bringing together 19 scientific studies, even indicates that stretching before sport can harm results! “Their influence on performance has not been demonstrated, it is even rather the opposite”, adds Professor Nicolas Pinsault, director of the physiotherapy department at the University of Grenoble. During sport, however, they help to flush out lactic acid and reduce pain.
But what about stretching after sports, recommended by many teachers or sports coaches? “Passive stretches, such as those of the jogger’s outstretched leg, have absolutely no benefit in terms of recovery,” says Professor Pinsault. Furthermore, there are all kinds of them, so talking about stretching in general is not relevant. of meaning”. And if they help to put nerve endings to sleep, and therefore to relieve pain, they can also cause microlesions or aggravate existing ones. “After exercise, the body is less able to feel pain, which can lead to pulling too hard,” explains Cédric Hattab, private physiotherapist. “Ideally, you should practice gentle, controlled stretching at least an hour after the race, but as not everyone knows how to do them well, they are not recommended,” adds Christophe Delong, head of the physical medicine and health department. rehabilitation of Sainte-Périne Hospital (AP-HP).
They are nevertheless of interest in practices aimed at increasing muscle mass, such as bodybuilding or sports for aesthetic purposes. Because stretching can be used to break down muscle fibers, which swell if they are then strengthened by various exercises. But the result is not always guaranteed, say the specialists. Regular stretching can also be of interest for sports that require flexibility, such as gymnastics. In both cases, it is less the muscles than the myotendinous structures that are used, which can improve performance.
No data demonstrating injury prevention
Can stretching at least prevent the risk of injury? “The idea holds up intellectually, because a less stiff muscle should accept extreme situations more easily, except that there is absolutely no scientific proof in this sense, sweeps away Professor Nicolas Babault, researcher at the Center for Performance Expertise G. Cometti (Inserm, University of Burgundy) Studies carried out on hundreds of athletes in the 2000s show on the contrary that there is no difference in the incidence of injuries between participants who performed sports. stretching and others.
Stretching to treat minor injuries appears more complex. The first thing to do is, of course, to consult a health practitioner to obtain an accurate diagnosis and appropriate care. But contrary to popular belief, most of the time, immobilizing the affected limb does not help it heal properly, particularly for tendonitis. “We generally recommend relative rest, that is to say a reduction and adaptation of activities, but we should not stop everything, because the tendon structure is very sensitive to constraints, whether it is excess or lack of solicitation”, notes Cédric Hattab. This is the case, for example, for “windshield wiper syndrome” – an injury to the tendon tissue around the knee -, a great classic among amateur runners, where there is no point in stopping running completely. “We prefer to mechanize, through muscle strengthening and manipulations in order to maintain elasticity and amplitude, and gradually recreate a quality tendon”, specifies Christophe Delong.
Unfortunately, doctors and researchers note a high failure rate, not so much because stretching is harmful, but because the recommended exercises must be performed several times a day, with great rigor. On the other hand, for more serious injuries, it is much clearer. “For fractures, it is necessary to immobilize the time for the bone to consolidate, which takes 45 days on average, 90 at worst, then consider a gradual recovery,” adds the specialist. For ligament injuries, it is also necessary to immobilize between 10 to 14 days, then “mechanize” thanks, in particular, to the manipulations of the therapists, in order to direct the healing in the desired direction. After 21 days, the muscles can usually be used again to lock the joint.
Warm-ups are less discussed. The scientific data all points in the same direction, namely that warming up your body with dynamic exercises before an event helps both to improve performance, but also to avoid injuries. “The increase in body temperature accelerates blood flow, which is essential for performance,” adds Nicolas Babault. Ideally, you should increase your heart rate – without exhausting yourself – and reproduce the movements that the athlete will perform during the activity. The interest is not limited to sport. Studies have, for example, shown that workers who warm up before work experience fewer musculoskeletal disorders.
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