AIS - Active Isolated Stretching

dna_leri

AIS - Active Isolated Stretching - anyone tried it or do it regularly?

If so any online resources you would recommend, what about books or DVDs?

Wharton or Mattes methods, is there a difference ?

If you have never heard of it before, the following is a quote from an old RunningTimes article:

In a nutshell, A.I. falls somewhere between the slow, static, yoga-like stretches most runners practice (sometimes) before or after they run and the ballistic leg swings and kicks elite athletes are often seen performing before they compete.
The underlying theory behind A.I. is that if a muscle is stretched too far, too fast, or for too long, it elicits a protective action known as the myotatic reflex, causing it to automatically and ballistically recoil in an attempt to prevent the muscle from tearing. This occurs about three seconds into a stretch.
Therefore, A.I. practitioners hold a stretch for only a second or two, before the myotatic reflex kicks in, then relax and repeat 10 times. Using this technique, the muscles exhibit a greater range of motion over the course of each set of stretching repeats.

mushykeogh

Use it, find it way more beneficial than traditional static stretching. I stretch for 7 x 7 secs. Works for me and i use it with any athletes i work with.

dna_leri

I thought AIS was based on holding for less than 2 secs, do you know what's the thinking behind 7 secs ?

shels4ever

dna_leri wrote: »

I thought AIS was based on holding for less than 2 secs, do you know what's the thinking behind 7 secs ?

I've been using this for about 2-3 months now, use some stretched mostly for the lower calf and leg . As far as I am aware the stretch time limits any lactic acid build up duirng the stretch.

pgibbo

I use it - the 2 second version. Find it good to loosen up first thing in the morning. I wouldn't always do it before a run or cycle though. I was introduced to it at a Ger Hartman talk.

wrstan

Sorry to open this up again, I was wondering if AIS is something that has gained any traction, or if regular posters have any further experience of it.

Two good (but not exactly current) articles on it here:
http://www.runningtimes.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=3512

http://www.duhac.tcdlife.ie/Training...local_copy.php

and a previous thread which became a discussion on the merits or demerits of stretching generally here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055539559

I have tried AIS over the past couple of months, following mainly the Hartmann article but haven't noticed any great difference so am starting to wonder if I am doing it right.

Thanks