The reason was a study conducted by Daniel Pereles from ‘Montgomery Orthopedics outside Washington,’ who analyzed the data of nearly 2,800 runners. Half of these athletes, who ran at least 16 kilometers per week, started their runs without prior stretching. All others were instructed by the scientists to stretch their thigh and calf muscles for three to five minutes before running.
Maintaining the Routine
It turned out that while the exercises did not cause harm, they also had no effect on the risk of injury. Since athletes who started stretching only as part of the study and those who stopped stretching for the experiment were more prone to injuries, the scientists now recommend maintaining the established routine. Those who have had positive experiences with stretching before exercise should continue to do so.
