Hamstring tightness is common in runners and often can persist for many months / years.
Stretching the hamstrings before or after a run seems to give some temporary relief at the time.
But the tightness, fatigue and pain often show up again the following day, and the day after that….with great frustration involved!
With research better informing our practice in the last few years, we now know stretching may actually be doing more harm than good for chronic hamstring tightness.
Some of the reasons why stretching your hamstrings might be harmful:
stretching has been shown to decrease a muscles capacity, making it more likely to cause a ‘spike in load’ during a training session. When it gets overloaded it get develop knots, trigger points and scar tissue
stretching more than about 20% intensity triggers off the bodies sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight mechanism) that causes the muscle to ‘protect itself’ through tightness and immobility
stretching leads to a compression and irritation of the hamstring tendon insertion - underneath the back of your hip (known as the ischial tuberosity or sit bone)
stretching too aggressively can irritate the sciatic nerve and increase the chance of developing lower back pain
stretching too aggressively can cause instability of the SIJ (Sacro-iliac Joint)
The bigger picture
If we zoom out and look at the bigger picture, that feeling of tightness / fatigue in the hamstrings is more of a protective response, a warning, that there is an imbalance in DEMAND relative to the hamstrings CAPACITY.
The only way to truly get over hamstring issues is to address this imbalance by firstly identifying and then modifying your high hamstring load/demand activities.
At the same time, begin a progressive strengthening program, to build the capacity of the hamstrings (see below for more detail).
Rather than doubling down on stretching, take it as a cue to reflect on how you are balancing your activities that relate to hamstring capacity.
How to decrease load on the hamstrings:
How to increase the capacity of the hamstrings:
When we assess runners local hamstring capacity, it can often be quite surprising to see how quickly it fatigues, even in elite athletes.
Working on gradually building eccentric hamstring strength is the preferred way to meet the demands of running.
The hamstring curl on the Swiss ball is my favourite exercise to achieve this.
This exercise will help strengthen AND lengthen the hamstrings, providing the capacity for increased performance and reduced injury risk.
A few tips:
Keep the hips high
Slowly lower the feet away
Continue reps until you feel fatigue reach an 8/10 fatigue level (approx 5-15 reps)
Don’t push to 10/10 fatigue as this will be too much and risk further stressing the hamstrings
Perform AFTER a run 1-2 x per week instead of stretching
Expect some soreness in the hamstrings 1-2 days after doing this (a good sign and will progressively get less as your capacity builds)
In clinical practice, if someone presents with chronic hamstring tightness, we would normally recommend 3-4 sessions of deep tissue massage release (and dry needling if required) to reset the muscles.
This allows us to ‘prepare the soil’ for the progressive strengthening program to have the best chance of growing capacity.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave below.
Disclaimer: This blog contains general information for educational purposes. Please check with your health care provider for specific advice for your situation.