How stretching actually changes your muscles - Malachy McHugh

How stretching actually changes your muscles - Malachy McHugh

TED-Ed

7.0M 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 common to prevent injuries, but its effectiveness is debatable. Muscles are viscoelastic, meaning they change under stress and resist stretching, but this effect is temporary. While stretching can improve flexibility, it needs to be done frequently for lasting results.

Stretching

Muscle

Flexibility

Stretching before exercise is commonly believed to prevent injuries like muscle strains and tears.
Stretching actually works by temporarily increasing the elasticity of muscle tissue, allowing the athlete to take advantage of an improved range of motion.

Insights from the YouTube Video Script:

1. Is Stretching a Rubber Band Analogy for Muscles Accurate?

This script debunks the common misconception of stretching muscles like a rubber band. While rubber bands are elastic, muscles are viscoelastic, meaning they change under stress. This means muscle stretching is more complex than simply elongating an elastic material.

2. How Does Stretching Actually Impact Muscles?

Stretching affects multiple levels of the muscle:

Protective Tissue: Stretches protective tissues around muscle fibers and tendons, elongating them due to elastic proteins like collagen and elastin.
Muscle Fibers: Stretching relaxes the sarcomeres, the smallest contracting units in muscle fibers,

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