COACHES' CORNER:FLEXIBILITY IS perhaps the most neglected parameter of fitness. This may be because flexibility is seen as less than crucial in team sports, write Dr LIAM HENNESSY and JIM KILTY.

Whereas gymnasts and dancers rely on achieving extreme ranges of movement in their routines, the team player's need for flexibility is less obvious.

Does a team player need to be as flexible as a gymnast? The simple answer is No. But it is important inflexibility is not hampering the player in competition and is not predisposing him or her to injury.

What is flexibility?

Flexibility has been defined as the freedom to move in a joint or group of joints. Flexibility is also specific to each joint; range of motion (ROM) in a hip does not ensure range of motion in a shoulder; and ROM in one hip may not be highly related to ROM in the other hip, and so on.

Types of flexibility

There are two basic types of flexibility. Static flexibility relates to ROM about a joint regardless of speed. For example, static flexibility is utilised when the gymnast performs a split, and the frontrow rugby player needs shoulder and upper-back flexibility to maintain static pressure on the opposition in a scrum. Dynamic flexibility relates to ROM in performance of a physical activity at speed.

Thus dynamic and static flexibility are required in virtually all sports.

Stretching versus flexibility

A distinction should be made between flexibility training and stretching in warm-ups. Flexibility training aims at long-term improvement in flexibility; stretching is intended to "loosen" the muscles and connective tissue that will be taxed during training.

Optimum flexibility is conducive to efficiency in movement, which tends to improve performance. So players should do regular flexibility training. During the warm-up, dynamic stretching is also very important to prepare the body for activity.

Factors affecting flexibility

Several factors affect flexibility.

Gender plays a role; typically women are more flexible than men.

Age; children become less flexible with age until they reach about 12, after which flexibility improves but seldom to the extent found during early childhood.

Flexibility increases with heat and decreases with cold.

Active individuals are usually more flexible than the inactive. An increase in fat reduces flexibility.

Benefits of flexibility

There is little scientific evidence pre-exercise stretching reduces the risk of injury. But there is strong evidence to recommend active or dynamic stretching as part of a progressive warm-up for the game or training session. Static stretching after training has been shown to help reduce the risk of injury in a follow-up exercise session.

Research has demonstrated that static stretching for 45 seconds has a relaxing effect on muscle, the effect lasting up to an hour. In this regard pilates and yoga utilise flexibility exercises as their fundamental method of harmonising body and mind.

Approaches to stretching

Stretch frequently and start at the ankles. Work upward through the different muscle groups when warming up, completing a flexibility unit or completing static stretches when cooling down. Be careful when warming up to ease into the dynamic stretches, and build up to good range of movement before starting your training or competition.

After exercise get into a dry, warm area and perform static stretches for up to 10 minutes. Dynamic stretches in a warm-up will not increase flexibility; the effects will be lost an hour after training. Thus a separate flexibility routine is needed to develop flexibility. Two 10- or 15-minute units a week will make a huge difference in flexibility.

Some bottom lines

• Know the difference between static and dynamic stretching.

• Use dynamic stretches in the warm-up and static in the cool-down.

• Make sure you have a good (normal) ROM about all joints.

• One to two regular flexibility training units of about 12 minutes a week can promote better flexibility.

• Use pilates or yoga if available.

These notes are contributed by Dr Liam Hennessy and Jim Kilty of Setanta College, the Institute of Strength and Conditioning Studies (www. setantacollege.com).