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More than 10 million sports related injuries occur in the world every year. To avoid this,
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athletes and coaches alike are using a variety of pre-competition techniques to decrease
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injuries and increase performance. But, what does science tell us about stretching and
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"warming-up"?
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Many studies have looked at how stretching can affect athletic performance, and it turns
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out...it depends on the activity! Sports such as figure skating and snowboarding, which
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require a wide range of motions to impress the judges, certainly benefit from an athlete's
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flexibility. But for power sports like speed skating and bobsledding, too much stretching
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may actually cause a temporary decrease in muscle strength. The overstretched muscle
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becomes less responsive and can stay weakened for up to 30 minutes.
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Although athletic competitions can be strenuous, there is little evidence to suggest that stretching
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before or after a competition decreases muscle soreness. Some studies have even noted that
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extreme flexibility can lead to an increase in the range of stretching without pain. And
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if you can't feel pain, the body doesn't know when to stop pushing; as a result, injuries
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can occur. Another large study of athletes found that the least and most flexible participants
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were 2.5 times more likely to incur an injury. So when it comes to flexibility in competitive
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sports, it's most beneficial to be moderately flexible.
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A well designed 'warm up' is also extremely beneficial. The term itself comes from the
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positive effects of raising the temperature of your body before a competition. Slowly
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increasing physical intensity prior to a sport increases muscle temperature, ultimately allowing
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your muscles to contract more forcefully. More forceful contractions, equals more strength
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and power. Furthermore, slowly adding movement to your muscles opens up the blood vessels,
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allowing blood to flow more easily throughout the body, and decreases the strain on your
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heart. Finally, as your blood temperature increases, your blood cells actually hold
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less oxygen. This loose oxygen is then free to be used by your muscles, increasing overall
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endurance.
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Science says, it's important not to over "stretch" it when it comes to flexibility, but physically
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"warming up" your body before each specific sport might help you burn
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the competition.
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Don't forget: we have a new video out every day during the Olympics.
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Can't wait? Our amazing partners at the CBC already have five of the videos up now for you to binge on.
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Just head to cbc.ca/olympics/ScienceSays to watch them before anyone else. Link in the description.
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But we also want to know your questions for this special series. Use the hashtag ScienceSays and let us know your burning Olympic questions.
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