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How stretching actually changes your muscles - Malachy McHugh

TED-Ed

6.3M Views . 2023-03-30

Dig into the science of stretching, and find out what it actually does to your muscles and how you can improve your flexibility. -- An athlete is preparing for a game. They’ve put on their gear and done their warmup, and now it’s time for one more routine — stretching. Typically, athletes stretch before physical activity to avoid injuries like strains and tears. But does stretching actually prevent these issues? And if so, how long do the benefits of stretching last? Malachy McHugh explores the finer points of flexibility. Lesson by Malachy McHugh, directed by Sofia Pashaei. Support Our Non-Profit Mission ---------------------------------------------- Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreon Check out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop ---------------------------------------------- Connect With Us ---------------------------------------------- Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletter Follow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebook Find us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitter Peep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram ---------------------------------------------- Keep Learning ---------------------------------------------- View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-stretching-actually-changes-your-muscles-malachy-mchugh Dig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-stretching-actually-changes-your-muscles-malachy-mchugh#digdeeper Music: https://www.campstudio.co ---------------------------------------------- Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti, Hoai Nam Tran, Kack-Kyun Kim, Michael Braun-Boghos, zjweele13, Anna-Pitschna Kunz, Edla Paniguel, Thomas Mungavan, Jaron Blackburn, Venkat Venkatakrishnan, ReuniteKorea, Aaron Henson, Rohan Gupta, Begum Tutuncu, Brian Richards, Jørgen Østerpart, Tyron Jung, Carsten Tobehn, Katie Dean, Ezgi Yersu, Gerald Onyango, alessandra tasso, Doreen Reynolds-Consolati, Manognya Chakrapani, Ayala Ron, Eunsun Kim, Phyllis Dubrow, Ophelia Gibson Best, Paul Schneider, Joichiro Yamada, Henrique Cassús, Karthik Cherala, Clarence E. Harper Jr., Vignan Velivela, Ana Maria, Exal Enrique Cisneros Tuch, Tejas Dc, Khalifa Alhulail, Martin Stephen, Jose Henrique Leopoldo e Silva, Mandeep Singh and Abhijit Kiran Valluri.

Stretching before physical activity is a common practice among athletes to prevent injuries, but the benefits are temporary. While stretching does elongate the muscles and improve range of motion, the effects last only about 10 minutes. To achieve lasting flexibility, a regular stretching routine is needed over an extended period of time.

Stretching
Muscle Flexibility
Muscle Injuries

  • Stretching before physical activity is often done to prevent injuries, but the benefits are temporary, lasting only 10 minutes without further activity.
  • To improve flexibility permanently, a comprehensive stretching regimen is required, involving at least 10 minutes of stretching per day for two months, broken up into multiple sessions.

Insights from the YouTube Video Script:

1. Stretching: More than just Rubber Bands?

  • What is the difference between rubber and muscle elasticity? While rubber is purely elastic, muscle is viscoelastic, meaning it changes under stress. This explains why muscles can be stretched further with repeated stretching.

2. How Does Stretching Actually Work?

  • Two levels of stretching: Stretching affects both the macro (protective tissue and tendons) and micro (sarcomeres) levels of muscle structure.
  • Temporary vs. Permanent Flexibility: While stretching temporarily increases range of motion, it's the addition of sarcomeres through consistent stretching that creates lasting flexibility gains.

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