Podcast Stretching is a contentious topic, but much like last weeks episode on ice baths (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IjJtb9HqXY), the science can be a minefield of unrealistic studies and sensationalised media headlines.

The key to stretching before sport is in the details: - Dosage (25-30sec) of gently holding the position - The correct stretches (we love the crouching three for any running athletes, linked below) - And to follow the stretches up with a proper activation and dynamic warm-up series.

We also cover: - Where the science on stretching has gone wrong and how it under appreciates the nuance of stretching pre-exercise. - How thinking and the scientific method are both valuable but need to be understood fully to apply - How a short dose of the right stretches can have an incredible restorative effect on alignment, performance and long-term injury reduction and recovery - We discuss thinking and the scientific method in general and how challenging traditional or preconceived theories can be challenging

Some resources and extra reading/watching:

New Yorker Article on the topic of thinking: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/02/27/why-facts-dont-change-our-minds

Veritasium video on the flaws in the scientific method: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42QuXLucH3Q A web page/article summarising the video: https://wakelet.com/wake/35a80e1c-0033-4db1-a5c1-28337f57d75b Some articles on the same topic: http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0020124 https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/science-isnt-broken/#part1

The AIS stretching study (it was actually 2008): Negative effect of static stretching restored when combined with a sport specific warm-up component http://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/40275084/Negative_effect_of_static_stretching_res20151122-9050-vuil4j.pdf?AWSAccessKeyId=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A&Expires=1489645276&Signature=5WSeDFCIJuSoUYmT8NN2FwHweeU%3D&response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DNegative_effect_of_static_stretching_res.pdf

Two of our favourite exaggerated stretching protocol studies: http://anneclairepannier.free.fr/files/etirements/THE%20EFFECT%20OF%20DIFFERENT%20WARM-UP%20STRETCH.pdf https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Matthew_Portas/publication/6493099_The_effect_of_static_ballistic_and_proprioceptive_neuromuscular_facilitation_stretching_on_vertical_jump_performance/links/0c960515bf28e28029000000.pdf

The Crouching Three (our favourite stretches) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8-8n_EyhIw&t=6s Core Advantage's activation and dynamic warm-up series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeQPAP-VhpY&t=33s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LZU2H-eSxY&t=36s An old article on the topic of stretching and athletic performance: http://www.coreadvantage.com.au/blog/2012/9/20/first-post?rq=stretching

The dynamic component of our warm up routine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LZU2H-eSxY&t=3s

To download our full warm up routine for free (PDF) head over to our website www.coreadvantage.com.au