Don't stretch

Is it good to stretch before sports?

No. Stretching as a warm-up before sports diminishes muscular performance and increases the risk of injury during sports. These injuries affect ligament (strain or tear), joints (subluxation or dislocation) and bones (fracture).

What is the explanation?

Muscles fall asleep when we stretch them. Unfortunately, for fast-paced sports that require good reflexes, such as soccer or badminton, muscles need to be as alert as possible. When the body is suddenly placed in a vulnerable position, muscles must be able to react in a fraction of a second to avoid an accident. Reaction time makes the difference between injury or not.

For example when sprinting, if your foot lands crooked on the ground and your muscles are too slow to correct its position, the ankle twists (sprain) and the ligaments, joints and bones take the beating.

Stretching should be done after sports. Stretching is great at improving flexibility. Simply avoid doing it as a warm-up before sports!