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How Stretching Can Improve Muscle Growth

You thought they didn’t go together right? Think stretching, you think of long, lean bodies in yoga poses, think muscles and you are envisaging a stocky dude who can barely lift his arms above his head in a straight line – not the case at all! Apart from feeling great, stretching has known benefits when incorporated in your exercise program. Stretching can improve muscle growth, improve flexibility, decrease stress and prevent future injuries.

Protein Synthesis.

Muscles grow through protein synthesis. By stretching during your training session, an increase in protein synthesis can allow for muscle growth. A combination of strengthening and stretching exercises can increase the length of the muscle and stimulate protein synthesis to trigger muscle growth and recovery. When you stretch, the muscles’ blood vessels will also stretch. Stretching your muscle tissue will allow space for blood flow to easily pass through, increasing the release of hormones which produce protein synthesis.

Hormones and Muscles

Stretching the muscle during a session’s rest increases the release of growth hormones, specifically IGF 1 which increases protein synthesis triggering muscle growth.

So there you have it – you can stretch and have big muscles too! Book in with a Hiscoes Trainer today to update your training program and ask them about stretching.