I keep talking to runners and athletes in different sports that require running, who maintain that they have tight hamstrings. However, upon questioning them in regard to how they know that their hamstrings are tight, I never get a straight answer. Most often it is,” I just feel it.”
It is almost as though they are supposed to have tight hamstrings. If they didn’t, something would be wrong with them. Is it a figment of their imagination or do most runners and running athletes truly have tight hamstrings?
If you are contesting someone in regard to how far you can reach in the straight leg toe touch you could find out right away how flexible you hamstrings are. But for runners, how can you tell when you hamstrings are tight?
Do tight hamstrings (whatever this may be) inhibit your running form? How do they limit your ability to run properly? I ask these questions because the range of motion in which the hamstrings are involved–for the majority of long-distance runners–is quite minimal.
In fact it is so minimal, that in many cases it is less than that exhibited in walking! Why then is it recommended that long-distance runners do so much hamstring stretching? The stretches do not play a role in exhibiting proper technique nor do they prevent injury. Would anyone like to venture a guess?
For more information on the role of the hamstrings in running, see Explosive Running.