Flexibility In Sports And Athletic Performance

Introduction

It’s no surprise that our modern lifestyle revolves around physically passive days where most work is done at an office – and often sitting down. Gone are the days when people spent most of their day doing physical work. Sure, this has brought us a lot of comfort into our daily lives but it is also shaping our bodies towards an unfavorable direction. 

A passive lifestyle not only causes overweight issues, but it is also the main culprit of most of the problems that occur in our musculoskeletal systems (muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons, connective tissue and fascia), including muscular tightness, bad posture and lower-back pain. For an athlete, these effects can reduce your performance, hinder your progress and even lead to long rehabilitation periods due to injuries – and that’s not what any of us want.

That’s why we’ve created this informative article so that you can maintain and improve your flexibility and reap the benefits that it provides for your sports performance. If you have no time to read and you’re itching to get your stretch on, you can also check out our flexibility training post here.

What is flexibility in sports exactly?

Flexibility is used to describe the mobility of a single limb, joint or muscle. This, on the other hand, is crucial in your ability to move your body both efficiently and safely. Flexibility also utilizes every single component of your body and varies from person to person and joint to joint. This means that your every joint, tendon, muscle and ligament have their own characteristics and mechanical properties. Therefore, flexibility development is also determined by how you perform your regular physical activities as well as what kind of stretching you do. After all, your goal is to optimize the range of motion (ROM) you need in your sport while maintaining joint stability.

Flexibility is also an important building block for other fitness components that are required for an active lifestyle or even an athletic career. You see, your strength, power, speed and even your endurance require a sufficient range of motion to perform in the best way possible. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that flexibility has a strong connection to athletic performance. The simple fact is that if a muscle is tight and inflexible, you won’t be able to utilize its full strength potential. And, since the body works as a combination of muscles, one weak muscle can ruin the whole kinetic chain (movement through multiple body segments) during your performance. Therefore, athletes must maintain a sufficient range of motion required in their sport to ensure athletic progression without the risk of injury.

It is important to note that the relationship between flexibility and athletic performance are sports-specific and not all sports require the same amount of flexibility. In fact, increased muscle stiffness may even be beneficial in some high-intensity sports due to bigger force production. Too much flexibility can even lead to joint health issues later on.

Another thing worth noting is that in a sports context, flexibility and stretching come in many different forms. For example, you can divide flexibility into active and passive flexibility or compare different stretching methods that should be done before or after a workout – or even as its own training routine. There’s also tons of different ways of stretching that vary in technique, intensity, duration and the physical effect it has on your body.

Flexibility can be divided into dynamic and static flexibility

Flexibility can be divided into two different categories; stretches that involve movement are called dynamic flexibility and the ones that don’t involve movement are referred to as static flexibility. While they both involve your body’s ability to move freely without physical restrictions, they rely on somewhat different mechanisms. 

Dynamic flexibility, also known as kinetic flexibility, describes your ability to move freely through a limb’s or joint’s full range of motion with muscle work. Dynamic stretching is great for increasing your range of motion, muscle temperature and nervous system activity, making it a solid warm-up choice for a variety of sports.

Static-active flexibility, also referred to as active flexibility, describes your ability to assume a position and maintain it to create a stretch somewhere else. In more technical terms, active flexibility utilizes agonists (muscle that creates movement) and synergists (muscles that stabilize joints during movement) to stretch their opposing muscles, known as antagonists. Active flexibility also always stays within your current range of motion which means you’re much less likely to overstretch and injure a muscle. One example of this is to lift your leg as high as possible to create a stretch and keep it there.

Static-passive flexibility, or passive flexibility, describes how flexible your muscles are in a relaxed state. It relies on your ability to stay longer in a stretch using body weight or external help such as a strap, a wall or other light resistance. Some passive flexibility methods are even done with a partner to gently push you beyond your comfort zone. Inner thigh stretch on your back and the splits are great examples of passive stretching that do not require muscle contraction. These types of longer passive stretches also tend to relax the muscle and improve flexibility which is why they also need their own training session. Don’t perform long passive exercises before exercising or right after heavy weight training. 

The type of flexibility you need depends heavily on the sport that you participate in. For example, dynamic and active flexibility is needed especially in aesthetic sports such as gymnastics, diving and figure skating. On the other hand, swimmers also have to have a good range of motion in their shoulders during crawl swimming. This helps them reduce drag in the water while propelling themselves forward with each stroke. Passive flexibility, however, is useful in activities where you must stay in a stretch for longer without active muscle work. For example, yoga and even circus-style contortionists often rely on passive flexibility.

The good thing is that both passive and active flexibility can be improved with a well-designed stretching program. However, you should also remember that active flexibility is more difficult to improve than passive flexibility, because you simply can’t build strength and control in a range of motion you’re unable to access. Thus, both active and passive flexibility require specifically designed training programs to progress in an effective and safe way.

Here’s a little comparison chart between dynamic and static flexibility in sports;

Why are some athletes more flexible than others?

Your flexibility is a combination of a number of physiological effects, including anatomy, sex, age, as well as your training background. Not only do these factors have a big impact on your flexibility but also your athletic performance and overall wellness. However, the good thing is that flexibility can be maintained and even improved with a well-rounded flexibility training program. 

Anatomical factors of flexibility in sports

Anatomical factors, such as the flexibility of your joints, muscles, fascia, tendons and even muscle temperature can have a tremendous impact on your overall flexibility. In fact, even the shape of your bones and joints can restrict your range of movement and therefore have an effect on your performance. The good thing is that your range of motion and your tissue’s ability to tolerate stretching can greatly improve after only a few weeks of flexibility training. However, actual structural changes usually occur after 6-8 weeks of continuous stretching.

The reason why these anatomical factors are so important for healthy athletic progression is the fact that the flexibility of your connective tissue (joints, tendons, ligaments and fascia) are crucial in maintaining good posture. This prevents unfavorable joint alignments which can cause muscular unbalances and unnecessary strain on your spine. In short, increased flexibility helps maintain the natural mobility of a joint which can enhance your performance through better strength production and improved mechanics. The better your range of motion is – the better efficiency you have while moving. Flexibility also maintains the functionality of your kinetic chain which describes your body’s ability to produce movement through the coordination of multiple body segments.

Joints refer to areas where two or more bones meet each other. In fact, they are responsible for connecting the whole body together. There are three distinct types of joints in the body;

• Joints that allow no movement, such as some bones in the skull (synarthrodial joints)
• Joints that allow minimal movement, such as the spine (amphiarthrodial joints)
• Joints that allow significant movement, such as arms or legs (diarthrodial joints)

Joints that allow no movement are meant to maintain a similar position throughout your life. On the other hand, joints with minimal movement, such as the spine, rely on being both flexible and stable at the same time. This is also one of the reasons why nearly 80% of people tend to suffer from back pain at some point in their lives. Joints that offer the most amount of movement are also the ones responsible for your overall feeling of stiffness or flexibility. Thus, if you want to maintain or improve your flexibility, these are the joints you should focus on.

Muscles also have a strong connection to your flexibility. While muscle tissue is often considered to be one of the main culprits of stiffness, this is not entirely true. In fact, if you consider a muscle a rubber band (stretch-shortening cycle), added flexibility could even have a negative effect on elasticity and therefore, your power production. It is important to note that regular stretching does not stretch the muscle, but it forces your nervous system to adapt to constant stretching. The more you stretch, the less likely your nervous system is to send a painful signal reminding you not to overstretch and damage your muscles. Therefore, stretching retrains your nervous system to signal less pain, letting you go deeper into a stretch.

Fascia is a web of connective tissue that wraps every muscle, organ, tendon and ligament in your body. Their function is to stabilize muscles, separate them from other organs and reduce friction during movement. And, unlike tendons and ligaments, fascia is supposed to move, twist and stretch with your body. In fact, they are also the most flexible tissue in the body, which makes it the best option to focus on if you want to improve your flexibility. Healthy fascia rarely causes any issues in flexibility, but physical inactivity and different injuries can bind it together, making muscle movement less flexible. Often times when you feel a knot in your back, it is caused by fascia that is tense and tight. The best remedies for these symptoms are massage and light exercise.

Muscle temperature can also have a significant effect on your range of motion. Multiple studies have shown that warmer muscles have better mobility than colder ones. This is due to the fact that warming up raises the temperature of your blood, muscles, ligaments and tendons, giving your limbs more ”room” to move freely. Hence, a proper warmup is not only important for athletic performance but injury prevention too.

Benefits of flexibility in sports

Good flexibility has a number of benefits in sports performance due to the fact that it helps your perform at an optimal range of motion. Not only does this improve your performance, it also speeds up your recovery, prevents injuries, enhances efficiency during exercise and improves your posture. Long static stretches can even be used for meditative purposes to relax and train your mental performance.

Improved performance may be the biggest benefit of good flexibility. The reason behind this is that regular stretching helps maintain the optimal movement patterns for any given sport. This results in better physical performance and improved movement efficiency, which refers to your ability to have the best possible performance with as little effort as possible. Improved movement efficiency is a result of increased range of motion in the body, which means that you are able to use the muscles’ full potential while moving without any physical restrictions. Flexible muscles and consistent stretching also offer increased blood flow in and out of the muscles. This not only brings vital nutrients to the muscles but also helps move away unwanted byproducts, such as lactate. These effects lead to a faster recovery which means you can train harder and more often.

Having a good balance between flexibility and strength also promotes good posture. This is especially important during physical activity due to the forces that you face throughout your performance. You have to be able to use your joints, limbs and muscles in their intended range of motion to be both efficient and safe. Flexibility and good range of motion and good posture are often connected to reduced risk of injury. However, according to most studies, the connection between flexibility and overall lowered injury risk is inconclusive. On the other hand, there is sufficient evidence to support the claim that better flexibility improves the healthy mobility of limbs which also promotes good posture. And, since bad posture and unbalanced strength have a direct connection to heightened injury risk, it is safe to say that better flexibility could prevent injuries in the long run. Additionally, there are no signs indicating that stretching would increase injury risk in any sport. More importantly, you should know how to stretch and when.

Regular stretching can even have some mental benefits as well. The reason behind is that focusing on your breath during stretching can help you get your mind off everyday activities. Therefore, it can be used for stress relief and meditation purposes. Not only does this have a calming effect for your mind and body, but it also promotes mental health. One of the best example of this sort of practice is Yoga.

Here’s a quick recap of the benefits of flexibility in sports;

Final thoughts

When we think about the relationship between flexibility and athletic performance, we have to keep our individual needs in mind. After all, not all sports require the same amount of flexibility. Aesthetic sports such as dancing, gymnastics, figure skating and diving rely heavily on the athletes ability to be flexible and look stylish while performing. You’ll rarely see that in rugby, right?

As we’ve learned, there are a few different ways to stretch and they all have their own effects. That is why it’s up to you to decide how you stretch and how it translates to your performance and overall health. So, do your flexibility exercises and remember to stretch at least all major muscle groups before and after a workout.

There’s no question that regular flexibility training can improve your performance and keep you healthy for a long time. You simply can’t assume that you’ll be able to do continuous intense exercises without balancing it out with stretching. Even if you don’t work out a lot you can still benefit from regular mobility exercises.

As we’ve said before, flexibility training should be incorporated into every well-balanced training routine. This can offer you a valuable time to take your mind off other forms of training and help you concentrate in other important things in your life. As always, you must find a balance between nutrition, exercise and rest to stay healthy and keep developing as an athlete. Have clear goals in your mind, be versatile in your training and enjoy the ride. Do these and you’ll be one step closer to becoming the best in your field.

Did you learn anything new about flexibility in sports? Let us know in the comments below!