Then the practice fell out of favor: Studies seemed to show that such «static» stretching (holding a pose for anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes) temporarily
reduces muscular power, weakens athletic performance and increases the risk of injury.
When the trial ended, Arciero and his team found that although both groups improved on nearly every measure, those who had followed the protein - pacing and antioxidant - rich diet showed the greatest improvements in fitness, including upper body
muscular endurance and
power, core strength, and blood vessel health (
reduced artery stiffness) among female participants; and upper and lower body
muscular strength and
power, aerobic
power, and lower back flexibility among male participants.