Stretching and Force Generation

by.

Charles Trinh, MS, PES, CSCS, ACSM-cPT

In our last article about flexibility training we covered the role that the central nervous system plays in the extensibility and elasticity of muscle tissue. This next article will cover stretching and force generation of the muscles.

Stretching before exercise can decrease the amount of force generation of the muscle being stretched. For example, if a person overly stretched their chest out right before doing a bench press with a significant amount of weight. Chances are they will have a much harder time lifting that weight vs. not stretching at all. A stretched out muscle will decrease force production because the actin and myosin cross bridges do not have enough overlap to generate higher amounts of force.

Think of a rubber band if you pull it apart and let go it will snap back to its resting length. Our muscles are like rubber bands in many ways. Imagine pulling the rubber band and now holding it for a longer period of time. The longer you hold it the less forceful it will snap back into resting length.

Why would anyone care about force generation? Put it this way, if you want to jump higher stretching before may reduce your jump height. Stretching your ankles out before your run will lead to a higher chance of ankle inversion sprains if you step on uneven ground. These are just a couple of examples of why you may not want to stretch before exercise.

So far we have learned that just purely stretching may not lead to the increases in flexibility because of the role of the central nervous system. Secondly stretching a muscle out before physical activity may increase risk of injury and decrease performance. Our last article will focus on stretching before exercise from a corrective exercise point of view.

About the Founder
Charles Trinh, MS, PES, CSCS, ACSM-cPT is the founder of FunctionWorks Fitness and former State Director for the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has over 10 years of formal education and practical experience in the health and fitness field. Charles has earned his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine and his Masters of Science degree in Exercise Science and Performance Enhancement. He also holds the highest level certifications by the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).


Trainer, Consultant and Educator
Charles is a consultant and educator in health and fitness. His in depth knowledge about the function of the musculoskeletal system and how it relates to exercise performance makes him a sought after speaker locally and nationally. He currently is a lecturer for the American College of Sports Medicine. Some of the private and public organizations that he has worked with are:

University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine
University of Hawaii Department of Health and Exercise Science
Kapiolani Community College Exercise Sport Science Program
Westfield State College
National Strength and Conditioning Association
American College of Sports Medicine
McDonalds Restaurants of Hawaii
Chaminade University
Fitness Resource Associates
Fitness Education Network
YMCA of Honolulu
University Health Alliance


For more information contact:
Charles Trinh, MS, PES, CSCS, ACSM-cPT
808-779-1604
functionworksfitness@gmail.com