The Relationship Between Mobility and Strength
The relationship between mobility and strength, or "force" output, can be akin to an old couple who are sick of each other's crap and just get on each other's nerves. If that's the case, then why do athletes spend time on it?
JOURNALMOBILITY
LIAM KILEY, MSCC
11/17/20234 min read
The importance of mobility to athlete’s health and performance has been well documented. Defined as the ability to move freely and efficiently around a joint in the absence of pain (1), the influence on proper motor function and injury prevention makes mobility an important and somewhat necessary inclusion into an athletes training regime. Decreased mobility can contribute to muscle imbalances, affecting overall body alignment and postural control (2). The implications this can have on force production can be profound; inadequate elastic properties reduce the ability for tendons to stretch and therefore dissipate forces upon impact (3). This can result in not only a heightened risk of injury due to the ‘jarring’ effect on surrounding structures, but also a loss in elastic energy, which is a critical contributor to force production (2). Click here to read more about the effects of mobility on health and performance.
Getting Mobile: Important Training Considerations
Despite the long term benefits on performance demonstrated in the literature, the timing of mobility training during the week is an important consideration due to the potential impact on acute/immediate performance (4). When a muscle body is stretched, there is a temporary loss in force potentiation (4). This acute lengthening of muscle fibers places a greater strain on the myosin filaments to be able to pull on the actin filaments for contraction, which not only reduces the ability to produce force but may also heighten the risk of injury (5). Click here to read more about how muscles contract.
If mobility reduces your ability to produce force and potential strength adaptations, when should you do your mobility training?
Based on the literature it would be best to avoid completing any mobility work before a bout of speed or resistance training due to the potential effects on force production (3). It may therefore be wise to leave participating in any form of mobility training on days with scheduled speed or resistance training sessions. In the event of scheduling conflicts, it may be best to move mobility training to after these sessions to avoid potential risk of injury and reduced performance.
Beauty, let’s get to stretching!
Hold up! Whilst mobility is obviously important, the type of mobility training that is undertaken is more important. Historically, despite a lack of evidence suggesting its benefits to injury prevention and subsequent performance, static stretching was thought of as the way to go. However, there are an abundance of studies which demonstrate that static stretching is a complete waste of time (6 - 11). As mentioned above, there is a temporary loss in force potentiation when a muscle is stretched due to the strain placed on the myosin and actin filaments (4).
So if not static stretching… then what?
The opposite to static; dynamic! Unlike static stretching, which involves holding a stretch for a prolonged period, dynamic stretching focuses on continuously moving the body through a full range of motion (4). By engaging in active movements that mimic the motions of the upcoming activity, dynamic stretching enhances the flexibility and elasticity of the muscles, leading to a reduced risk of injury during exercise (4). Moreover, dynamic stretching mechanisms activate specific muscle groups, stimulating neural pathways and improving muscle coordination. The dynamic movements involved in this type of stretching increase the communication between the brain and muscles, improving the overall functional capacity of the body (12, 13). This increased activation allows athletes and individuals to perform activities with more power, speed, and precision compared to no warm up at all (12). By incorporating activities that mimic the intensity and range of motion required during physical activity, dynamic stretching may help athletes perform at their best by increasing muscle power and explosiveness.
References:
Veeger HE, van der Helm FC. Shoulder function: the perfect compromise between mobility and stability. J Biomech. 2007;40(10):2119-29. doi: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2006.10.016. Epub 2007 Jan 12. PMID: 17222853.
Grimmer, M., Riener, R., Walsh, C.J. et al. Mobility related physical and functional losses due to aging and disease - a motivation for lower limb exoskeletons. J NeuroEngineering Rehabil 16, 2 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-018-0458-8
Hunter GR, McCarthy JP, Carter SJ, Bamman MM, Gaddy ES, Fisher G, Katsoulis K, Plaisance EP, Newcomer BR. Muscle fiber type, Achilles tendon length, potentiation, and running economy. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 May;29(5):1302-9. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000760. PMID: 25719915.
Opplert J, Babault N. Acute Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Muscle Flexibility and Performance: An Analysis of the Current Literature. Sports Med. 2018 Feb;48(2):299-325. doi: 10.1007/s40279-017-0797-9. PMID: 29063454.
Chaabene H, Behm DG, Negra Y, Granacher U. Acute Effects of Static Stretching on Muscle Strength and Power: An Attempt to Clarify Previous Caveats. Front Physiol. 2019 Nov 29;10:1468. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2019.01468. PMID: 31849713; PMCID: PMC6895680.
Witvrouw E, Mahieu N, Danneels L, McNair P. Stretching and injury prevention: an obscure relationship. Sports Med. 2004;34(7):443-9. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200434070-00003. PMID: 15233597.
Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh M. Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Jan;41(1):1-11. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0235. Epub 2015 Dec 8. PMID: 26642915.
Woods K, Bishop P, Jones E. Warm-up and stretching in the prevention of muscular injury. Sports Med. 2007;37(12):1089-99. doi: 10.2165/00007256-200737120-00006. PMID: 18027995.
McHugh MP, Cosgrave CH. To stretch or not to stretch: the role of stretching in injury prevention and performance. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010 Apr;20(2):169-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0838.2009.01058.x. Epub 2009 Dec 18. PMID: 20030776.
Zakaria AA, Kiningham RB, Sen A. Effects of Static and Dynamic Stretching on Injury Prevention in High School Soccer Athletes: A Randomized Trial. J Sport Rehabil. 2015 Aug;24(3):229-35. doi: 10.1123/jsr.2013-0114. Epub 2015 May 1. PMID: 25933060.
Gleim GW, McHugh MP. Flexibility and its effects on sports injury and performance. Sports Med. 1997 Nov;24(5):289-99. doi: 10.2165/00007256-199724050-00001. PMID: 9368275.
Hulliger M, Matthews PB, Noth J. Effects of combining static and dynamic fusimotor stimulation on the response of the muscle spindle primary ending to sinusoidal stretching. J Physiol. 1977 Jun;267(3):839-56. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1977.sp011840. PMID: 141498; PMCID: PMC1283642.
Behm DG, Blazevich AJ, Kay AD, McHugh M. Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2016 Jan;41(1):1-11. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2015-0235. Epub 2015 Dec 8. PMID: 26642915.
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