Flexibility, Mobility, Warming up and Cooling Down

Question 1

• Define the flexibility terms

Answer 1

• Range of Motion (ROM): degree of movt at a joint.
• Flexibility: measure of ROM (static + dynamic components)
• Static flexibility: ROM during a passive movt = requires no voluntary muscular activity, an external force allows the stretch such as gravity, a partner, or a machine
• Dynamic flexibility: ROM during active movts = requires voluntary muscular activity, ROM is generally greater than static ROM.
• Mobility – Ability to move fluidly through movs without physical hindrance
• Movement exercise – some basic fundamental movts that increase mobility, stability + flexibility + have a crossover to enhance other sporting movts or skills

Question 2

• Describe factors that will influence the type of stretching prescribed for an athlete.

Answer 2

• Type of stretching performed will be dependent on the subsequent activity/sport.
• Rather than focus on flexibility in isolation, the goal should be focused on mobility

The 3 P’s
- Position – can the athlete move into + hold certain general or specific positions
- Pattern – can they repeatedly move into those positions w/ little effort or physical hindrance
- Power – once the above 2 P’s are achieved, then the movts can be Powered or Overloaded (greater resistance, speed or volume of overload)

Question 3

• Explain factors that affect flexibility.

Answer 3

• Joint Structure: Ball + socket joints, such as the hip + shoulder have a greater ROM than hinge joints (knee).
• Age + Sex: Younger people more flexible than older people. Females more flexible than males.
• Muscle + Connective Tissue: muscle tissue, the musculotendinous unit, tendons, ligs, fascial sheaths, joint capsules, + skin may limit ROM.
• Stretch Tolerance: Ability to tolerate the discomfort may influence ROM.
• Neural Control: ROM influenced by afferent + efferent mechanisms
• Resistance Training: may increase flexibility + assist in the development of force capacity through the enhanced ROM
• Muscle Bulk: Significant muscle bulk may adversely affect ROM by impeding joint movt
• Activity Level: An active person tends to be more flexible than an inactive person

Question 4

What happens when we stretch?

Answer 4

What Happens when we Stretch?
- Stretch = muscle fibre pulled out to full length + connective tissue reorganized + elongated
- Sarcomeres = overlap of myofilaments decreases
- Collagen fibres align along the same line of force as tension

Question 5

• Describe how proprioceptors influence stretching and range of motion (ROM).

Answer 5

Proprioceptors + Stretching
- Two important proprioceptors during stretching:
1. Muscle spindles
2. Golgi tendon organs (GTOs)
- Muscle contraction following stretched extrafusal muscle fibers = stretch reflex.
- Stimulation of the muscle spindle (should be avoided when stretching)

• When GTO stimulated causes a muscle to reflexively relax + is called autogenic inhibition.
• Occurs when one simultaneously contracts the muscle that is being passively stretched.
• Relaxation that occurs in the muscle opposing the muscle experiencing increased tension is called reciprocal inhibition
• Occurs when one simultaneously contracts the muscle opposing the muscle that is being passively stretched

Question 6

• Explain how to perform static stretching

Answer 6

Static Stretch
- A slow + constant stretch held for period of time.
- Does not elicit the stretch reflex of the stretched muscle
Guidelines for Static Stretching
- Get into a position that facilitates relaxation.
- Move to the point in the ROM where you experience a sensation of mild discomfort. If performing partner-assisted PNF stretching, communicate clearly w/ your partner
- Hold stretches for 15 to 30 secs.
- Repeat unilateral stretches on both sides.

Precautions for Static Stretching
- Decrease stretch intensity if you experience pain, radiating symptoms, or loss of sensation.
- Use caution when stretching a hypermobile joint.
- Avoid combination movts that involve the spine (e.g., extension + lateral flexion).
- Stabilizing muscles should be active to protect other joints + prevent unwanted movts.

Question 7

• Explain how to perform dynamic stretching

Answer 7

Dynamic Stretch
- Functionally based stretching exercise using sport-generic + sport-specific movts.
- Sometimes referred to as mobility drills + can assist w/ skill development (e.g. running drills).
- Preferred method of stretching during warm-up (due to specificity + keeping body temp elevated).
- May not be as effective for increasing ROM as static stretching or proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching

Guidelines for Dynamic Stretching
- Perform 5 to 10 reps for each movt, either in place or over a given distance.
- Where possible, progressively increase the ROM on each rep
- Where appropriate, increase the speed of motion in subsequent sets, but always maintain control of the motion
- Actively control muscular actions as you move through the ROM
- Where appropriate, try to replicate the movts required for sport perf

Precautions for Dynamic Stretching
- Move progressively through the ROM.
- Move deliberately through the motion but without bouncing (movt should be controlled at all times).
- Do not forsake good technique for additional ROM

Question 8

• Explain how to perform ballistic stretching

Answer 8

• Involves active muscular effort + using a bouncing-type movt w/ end position not held.
• Often used in the pre-exercise warm-up
• Usually triggers the stretch reflex because involved muscles do not relax.
• Athlete needs to be adequately prepared for this type of stretching.

Question 9

• Explain how to perform PNF stretching

Answer 9

• Usually performed with a partner + involves both passive movt + active (concentric + isometric) muscle actions
• There are three basic types of PNF stretching techniques:
  1. Hold-relax
  2. Contract-relax
  3. Hold-relax w/ agonist contraction

Question 10

PNF: Hold-Relax

Answer 10

Hold-Relax
- Passive prestretch of hamstrings held at the point of mild discomfort for 10 secs
- The partner then applies a hip flexion force + athlete resists the movt (isometric muscle action) which is held for 6 secs
- Athlete then relaxes, + a passive stretch is performed + held for 30 secs w/ final stretch greater due to autogenic inhibition (i.e. activation of the hamstrings)

Question 11

PNF: Contract-Relax

Answer 11

Contract-Relax
- Passive prestretch of hamstrings held at the point of mild discomfort for 10 secs.
- Athlete then extends the hip against resistance from the partner (concentric muscle action) through the full ROM.
- Athlete then relaxes, and a passive stretch is performed + held for 30 secs w/ final stretch greater due to autogenic inhibition (i.e. activation of the hamstrings)

Question 12

PNF: Hold-Relax With Agonist Contraction

Answer 12

Hold-Relax With Agonist Contraction
- Passive prestretch of hamstrings held at the point of mild discomfort for 10 secs.
- The partner then applies a hip flexion force + athlete resists the movt (isometric muscle action) which is held for 6 secs.
- A passive stretch is performed + held for 30 secs w/ the addition of concentric action of the agonist to increase stretch force
- final stretch should be greater, due to reciprocal inhibition (i.e., activation of the hip flexors) + autogenic inhibition (i.e., activation of the hamstrings)
- Final stretch should be greater, due to reciprocal inhibition (i.e., activation of the hip flexors) + autogenic inhibition (i.e., activation of the hamstrings)

Question 13

• Describe the main purpose of a warm-up and cool-down

Answer 13

• integral part of any training session or comp
• Purpose is to prepare the athlete mentally + physically for exercise or comp

Question 14

• List and explain the positive effects of a warm-up on subsequent exercise performance.

Answer 14

Positive effects on exercise performance includes:
- Faster muscle contraction + relaxation.
- Improved rate of force development + reaction time.
- Enhanced muscle strength + power.
- Lowered viscous resistance in muscles + joints.
- Greater O2 delivery (due to the Bohr effect).
- Increased blood flow to active muscles.
- Enhanced metabolic reactions.
- Greater psychological preparedness for perf

Question 15

• Describe the components of a traditional warm-up.

Answer 15

Components of a Warm-Up
- A traditional warm-up involves two key phases.
1. General warm-up
2. Specific warm-up
- Warm-up should progress gradually + provide sufficient intensity to increase muscle + core temps without causing fatigue or reducing energy stores.
- Total duration approximately 10-20 mins (dependent on exercise session + comp).
- The warm-up should end no more than 15 mins before the start of the subsequent activity to be of benefit

Question 16

• Describe the components of a traditional warm-up.
• general + specific

Answer 16

1. General warm-up period
   - Aim: increase HR, blood flow, deep muscle temp, respiration rate, + perspiration + decrease viscosity of joint fluids
   - Exercise type: Aerobic (e.g. jogging, skipping, or cycling)
   - General stretching following aerobic exercise.
2. Specific warm-up period
   - Aim: prepare body w/ similar movts to the targeted exercise/activity
   - Exercise type: rehearsal of the skill(s) to be performed

Question 17

• Explain how to ensure warm-ups can be structured to contribute to the short/long-term development of an athlete.

Answer 17

Targeted and Structured Warm-Ups
- Warm-ups should incorporate short-, medium-, + long-term considerations that will contribute to the overall development of the athlete
- A common structure that addresses all of the key aspects of an effective warm-up is the Raise, Activate + Mobilize, + Potentiate (RAMP) protocol.
- RAMP builds upon the General + Specific warm-up protocol + can be maximized in the short, medium, + long term

Question 18

RAISE

Answer 18

Raise
- Aim: elevating body temp, HR, respiration rate, blood flow, + joint fluid viscosity via low-intensity activities
- Exercise type: simulating the movt patterns of the upcoming activity

Question 19

ACTIVATE AND MOBILISE

Answer 19

Activate and Mobilize
- Aim: enhancing range of motion.
- Exercise type: movt patterns required for athletic perf (immediate + future) such as squat patterns + lunge patterns (motor control, stability, + flexibility)
- Exercises using key movt patterns – assist w/ development of the required motor control as well as developing mobility
- Static stretching? Potential negative effects on performance?
- Think about the activities being performed in the training session/comp – specificity.
- Dynamic stretching?

Question 20

POTENTIATION

Answer 20

Potentiation
- Is defined as the increase in strength of nerve impulses along pathways.
- Aim: progresses athlete to the intensity required for training session or comp
- Exercise type: sport-specific activities

Question 21

• Describe the purpose of a cool-down and how it is conducted.

Answer 21

Cool-Down
- Low-intensity aerobic exercise of 5-15 mins, static stretching, foam rolling etc
- Used to prevent blood pooling + improve venous return
- May result in a faster recovery of the cardiovascular + respiratory system after exercise.
- Unknown whether a cool down reduces the incidence of postexercise syncope (i.e. fainting or sudden loss of consciousness) + cardiovascular complications

Question 22

• Explain whether cool-downs are beneficial for an athlete.

Answer 22

What Cool-Downs DO NOT achieve:
- Removal of metabolic byproducts.
- Reducing muscle soreness.
- Reducing muscle damage.
- Faster resynthesis of muscle substrates (e.g. ATP-PC, glycogen).
- Reducing risk of illness (changes in circulating immune cells).
- influence long-term adaptive response.
- Faster recovery of muscle function.
- Attenuate decrease ROM + musculotendinous stiffness
- Enhanced metabolic reactions.
- Greater psychological preparedness for perf
- Improve perceived psychological recovery.
- Prevent injuries

Question 23

Flexibility Training

Answer 23

• Exact mechanisms responsible for increased flexibility from stretching is unclear.
• Acute effects of stretching on ROM are transient + greatest immediately (lasting from a couple of mins to a day).
• Min of at least two stretching sessions per week needed to improve ROM.
• Stretching should be preceded by a period of general activity to raise muscle temp
• Neural + vascular structures are stretched during flexibility exercises
• Can be performed following practice + comp or as a separate session for ROM improvements