Chapter 14: Warm-Up and Flexibility Training Flashcards
Purpose of a warm-up
To prepare an athlete for upcoming training or competition
Purpose of flexibility training
Increase ROM about a joint, normally through different forms of stretching
What does a warm-up do?
- A warm-up can confer a number of physiological responses that potentially improve performance
- A warm-up is also traditionally thought to decrease risk of injury
Types of Physiological Responses
- Temperature-related effects
- Non-temperature-related effects
Temperature-related Effects
- Increased muscle temperature
- Increased core temperature
- Enhanced neural function
- Disruption of transient connective tissue bonds
Non-temperature-related Effects
- Increased blood flow to muscles
- Elevation of baseline oxygen consumption
- Postactivation potentiation
Structure of a Traditional Warm-up
A warm-up starts with a period of aerobic activity, followed by stretching, and ends with activities specific to the upcoming activity
Phases of a Warm-up
- General warm-up period
- Specific warm-up period
General Warm-up Period
5 minutes of slow aerobic activity, followed by general stretching
Aim of aerobic activity in the General Warm-up Period
- Increase HR and blood flow
- Increase deep muscle temperature
- Increase respiration rate
- Increase perspiration
- Decrease viscosity of joint fluids
Aim of stretching in the General Warm-up Period
Replicate the ROM required for the upcoming activity
Specific Warm-up Period
Incorporates movements similar to the movements of the athletes sport, including rehearsal of the skills used in the activity
Considerations for the Warm-up
- Should progress gradually
- Increase muscle and core temperatures without causing fatigue or reducing energy stores
When should the warm-up end?
No more than 15 minutes before start of activity, otherwise the positive effects of the warm-up dissipate
RAMP Warm-up Protocol
- Raise
- Activate and Mobilize
- Potentiate
Raise
- Analogous to the general warm-up phase
- Raises the level of key physiological parameters and the skill level of the athletes
- Needs to stimulate/develop the movement/skill patterns of the upcoming activity
Activate and Mobilize
- Analogous to the stretching component of a warm-up
- Key movement patterns are developed
- Mobility, actively moving through a range of motion, requires a combo of motor control, stability, and flexibility
- Whole phase more closely resembles the movements required in the main activity
Potentiation
- Analogous to the specific warm-up
- Deploys sport-specific activity
- Progresses in intensity until the athlete is performing at the intensity required for the activity
- This phase is especially important in activities that have high levels of strength, speed, and power
- Should progress almost seamlessly into the actual workout or competition
Range of Motion
The degree of movement that occurs at a joint
Flexibility
- A measure of ROM
- Has static and dynamic components
Static Flexibility
- Range of possible movement about a joint when the surrounding muscles undergo passive movement
- Requires no voluntary activity, an external force provides the force for the stretch
Dynamic Flexibility
- Available ROM during active movements
- Required voluntary muscle action
- Generally greater than static ROM
Considering flexibility in isolation
- Can be misleading, since normal ROM doesn’t ensure normal movement
- Mobility may be more enlightening, since it entails movement and factors such as balance, posture, and perception
Flexibility and Performance
- ROM requirements are unique for each sport, so an S&C professional needs to specify training for that ROM
- Since force needs to applied through the full ROM, training these 2 characteristics in tandem is critical
Factors affecting Flexibility
- Joint structure
- Age and sex
- Muscle and connective tissue
- Stretch tolerance
- Neural control
- Resistance training
- Muscle bulk
- Activity level
Joint Structure and Flexibility
- The type of joint, the shapes of the joint’s articulating surfaces, and the soft tissues surrounding the joint all affect its ROM
- Ball-and-socket joints have the greatest ROM
Age/Sex and Flexibility
- Young > old
- Women > men
Fibrosis
Fibrous connective tissue replaces degenerating muscle fibers (likely due to inactivity and neglecting ROM)
Fibrosis and the elderly
They can improve strength as well as flexibility
Muscle/Connective Tissue and Flexibility
There are so many types of tissue that can affect flexibility, reflecting the importance of both elasticity and plasticity
Elasticity
The ability to return to the original resting length after a passive stretch
Placticity
The tendency to assume a new and greater length after a passive stretch
Stretch Tolerance and Flexibility
- The ability to tolerate the discomfort of stretching
- A good stretching program will improve stretch tolerance, enabling the improved flexibility
Neural Control and Flexibility
The control of ROM is held in the nervous system, not much in structural elements
Resistance Training and Flexibility
- Effective strength training is an important part of gaining and maintaining flexibility
- To prevent ROM loss, athletes should perform loaded movements that maintain these movement patterns
Muscle Bulk and Flexibility
There’s a balance between strength and needed range of motion
Activity Level and Flexibility
- Active > inactive
- Activity level alone does not improve flexibility
How often should an athlete stretch to improve flexibility?
- Stretch 2x/wk, for 5 weeks
- 15-30 seconds is recommended
What should an athlete do before stretching?
All stretching sessions should be preceded by a period of general activity to raise muscle temperature
When should an athlete stretch?
- Following practice and competition
- As a separate session
How much time can pass after practice/competition before an athlete should stretch?
5-10 minutes
Main proprioceptors relevant to stretching
- Muscle spindles
- Golgi tendon organs
Muscle Spindle
- Located in intrafusal muscle fibers
- Monitor changes in muscle length
Stretch Reflex
- During a rapid stretching movement, a sensory neuron from the muscle spindle innervates a motor neuron in the spine
- The motor neuron then causes a muscle action of the previously stretched extrafusal fibers
Golgi Tendon Organ
- A mechanoreceptor located near the musculotendinous junction
What happens when a GTO is stimulated?
A muscle reflexively relaxes
Autogenic Inhibition
Relaxation that occurs in the same muscle that is experiencing increased tension
Reciprocal Inhibition
Relaxation that occurs in the muscle opposing the muscle experiencing the increased tension
Types of Stretching
- Active
- Passive
Active Stretch
Occurs when the person stretching supplies the force of the stretch
Passive Stretch
Occurs when a partner or a stretching machine provides external force to cause or enhance a stretch
Static Stretch
- Slow and constant
- End position held for 15-30 seconds
- Effective in improving flexibility
Ballistic Stretch
- Involves active muscular effort
- Uses bouncing-type movement in which the end position is not held
- Often used in a pre-exercise warm-up
- May cause injury if not controlled or sequenced properly
- As effective as static stretching
Dynamic Stretch
- Actively moving a joint through the ROM encountered in a sport
- AKA mobility drills
- Good warm-up activity, but not as effective as static or PNF in increasing ROM
Difference between dynamic and ballistic stretching
Dynamic stretching avoids bouncing and is performed in a more controlled manner
Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretch (PNF)
- A form of stretching usually involving a partner
- Involves both passive movement and active (concentric and isometric) muscle actions
3 Specific muscle actions to facilitate the passive stretch in PNF
- Isometric muscle action of the antagonist (the muscle being stretched)
- Concentric muscle action of the antagonist
- Concentric muscle action of the agonist (agonist contraction)
Purpose of the muscle actions of the antagonist
To achieve autogenic inhibition
Purpose of the muscle actions of the agonist
To achieve reciprocal inhibition
Name for isometric muscle action of the antagonist in PNF
Hold
Name for concentric muscle action of the antagonist in PNF
Contract
Name for the passive, static stretch in PNF
Relax
3 Basic Types of PNF Techniques
- Hold-relax
- Contract-relax
- Hold-relax with agonist contraction
Phases of PNF
- 3 phases
- First is 10-second passive pre-stretch
- Second and third differ between the 3 techniques, they give the technique their name
Hold-Relax PNF
- Phase 1: Passive pre-stretch at the point of mild discomfort
- Phase 2: Parter applies stretching force and instructs the athlete “hold and don’t let me move the leg”, athlete holds isometric muscle action for 6 seconds
- Phase 3: Athlete relaxes, a passive stretch is applied for 30 seconds
- Final stretch is of a greater magnitude due to autogenic inhibition
Contract-Relax PNF
- Phase 1: Passive pre-stretch at the point of mild discomfort
- Phase 2: Athlete moves against resistance provided by the partner through full ROM
- Phase 3: Athlete relaxes, and a passive stretch is applied and held for 30-seconds
- Increased ROM is due to autogenic inhibition
Hold-relax with agonist contraction
- Phase 1: Passive pre-stretch at the point of mild discomfort
- Phase 2: Parter applies stretching force and instructs the athlete “hold and don’t let me move the leg”, athlete holds isometric muscle action for 6 seconds
- Phase 3: A concentric action of the agonist is used in addition to the passive stretch to add to the stretch force
- Increased ROM is due to combined effects of reciprocal (primary) and autogenic (secondary) inhibition
