Why Stretching Before Exercise Might Be Doing More Harm Than Good

We’ve all been told to “stretch before you exercise”—but modern science suggests this may not be the best idea. While stretching has benefits, doing it before your workout—particularly static stretching—may actually reduce performance and increase your risk of injury.

In this article, we’ll break down the science behind stretching, including the role of Golgi tendon organs, muscle excitability, and activation patterns, and why a better warm-up strategy may be the key to unlocking your full performance potential.

Should I stretch before a workout

Static stretching—the kind where you hold a muscle in a lengthened position for 30 seconds or more—has been shown to reduce muscle strength, power, and explosiveness immediately afterward. This is a problem, especially before high-performance sports or strength training.

Here’s why:

• Reduced Muscle Excitability: Muscles work via signals sent from the brain through the nervous system. Static stretching dampens this communication by lowering the muscle’s ability to respond quickly and powerfully.

• Inhibited Motor Unit Recruitment: When muscles are lengthened and held passively, fewer motor units (muscle fibers activated by a single nerve) are recruited during subsequent movement.

• Activation of the Golgi Tendon Organ: The Golgi tendon organ (GTO) is a mechanoreceptor located in the tendon that protects muscles from excessive tension. Static stretching activates this system, signaling the muscle to relax—right when you’re about to need it to fire.