Background
Much research has been done on the effects of static and dynamic stretching on muscle strength and flexibility. Others have looked at the psychosomatic effects (ie, fatigue, soreness) in various populations. It is less clear what the psychosomatic effects of stretching may have after endurance exercise activities, such as hiking.
Objective
To assess the psychosomatic effects of stretching on endurance exercise in the context of hiking.
Methods
Twenty-one medical students were given a questionnaire immediately before and after a 4-mile moderately difficult hike. They were asked about prior hiking experience, general level of fitness, and relative levels of perceived fatigue and soreness. Ten subjects were assigned to the no-stretch control group, and 11 subjects were allowed to participate in an approximately 10 minute stretching session. Analysis of P values was done using the 2-sample t test.
Results
There was a 67% higher level of perceived soreness (P = .02) immediately on finishing the hike in the control group as compared with the stretch group. The average level of perceived fatigue (on a scale of 1 to 5) in the control group increased from 2.7 to 3.7 (P = .049) whereas the level of reported fatigue in the stretch group increased to a lesser extent from 2.36 to 3; this increase was not statistically significant (P = .216).
Conclusions
Perceived soreness immediately after hiking can potentially be lessened by stretching. A larger study examining the different types of stretching (dynamic vs static) could be useful to further examine the psychosomatic effects of stretching on hiking.