Static stretches are part of an effective cool down because they can help... A) revert lactic acid B) improve performance C) decrease blood flow D) increase endurance
Health · High School · Sun Jan 24 2021
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A) revert lactic acid
Static stretches are effective during a cool-down routine because they help the muscles to relax, reduce muscle tightness, and facilitate the removal of lactic acid build-up that can occur during vigorous activity. When you engage in intense physical exercise, your body produces lactic acid as a byproduct of anaerobic respiration. This accumulation of lactic acid can lead to muscle fatigue and soreness. By stretching after exercising, you aid in the process of recovery by assisting the body in clearing lactic acid from the muscles more efficiently.
Extra: Lactic acid is produced during high-intensity exercise when the body’s demand for oxygen exceeds the supply. When muscles use anaerobic metabolism to generate energy, lactic acid is a byproduct which can build up in the muscle and lead to the feeling of "burn" during intense exercise. After exercise, the body needs to return to its resting state effectively.
Static stretching during a cool-down helps with gradual recovery by lengthening the muscles that might have tightened during exercise. This gentle stretch can help relax the muscles, maintain flexibility, and potentially speed up recovery by improving circulation. It's important that static stretches are performed when the muscles are warm to avoid injury and maximize the effectiveness of the stretching.
Improved performance (B), decreased blood flow (C), and increased endurance (D) are not directly achieved through static stretching during a cool-down. Instead, performance and endurance can be improved through a regular exercise routine that includes a proper warm-up (to prepare the muscles for activity) and cool-down (to start the recovery process), and decreased blood flow isn't a goal of the cool-down; rather, it's to ensure that blood continues to circulate well to aid in the removal of waste products and delivery of nutrients to muscle tissue.