Training for Backpacking

>"I live in Houston, so it's impossible to find any sort of hike to replicate a mountain adventure. I typically build my base on a treadmill at 15-18% incline or a stairmill. "

Ben: I've been to Houston various times and there are multi-story buildings there. So you can at least go up and down stairs as part of your training. An treadmill or stair-climber only goes up. Mountain trails go up AND down. And for me, if I'm sore or tight afterwards, it was the downhill that did it. Unless I'm doing lots of hilly trails, I now include some training on actual stairs – the kind you have to descend between each ascent. Surprisingly little of that – 10 minutes a day) makes a huge difference for a 5,000-foot-up/5,000-foot-down day. But as Chenault's article stresses, doing that months in advance is the key.

Dynamic stretching for warming up is much different than static stretching.
It helps in just the ways you described.

"I suspect to increase flexibility, stretching is vital but it may not provide any other benefit."

Increased flexibility is definitely extremely important for just about any sport, IMO. I can speak to running and climbing from personal experience, and it was a critical factor for enhanced performance in both sports, primarily due to increased range of motion, but also, I suspect, decreased likelihood of injury. Hard to prove the latter, I admit.

Stretching was, and is, also considered extremely important for staying injury free or at least reducing the likelihood of getting injured, by every physical therapist, orthopedic physician, and physiatrist I have ever discussed the subject with. None of them pointed to its impact on muscle length, so I am left to speculate that it increases tendon length, at least temporarily. I remember the thread where Jennifer made the statement you quoted, and asked her at the time if the effect of stretching is on tendon, but received no reply. Perhaps she can address the question now. In any case, there is no doubt in my mind based on the advice I have received from other very competent medical professionals and my own experience that stretching does have observable benefits in terms of flexibility, and probably on reducing the likelihood of injury. For me it boils down to what is the mechanism by which these effects are achieved.

I have also found the foam roll extremely beneficial in this regard, particularly in my case, for my right IT band, which has been my nemesis for many years.

"How it improves backpacking may be questionable."

I regard backpacking as just one more physical activity where stretching confers benefits like flexibility and reduction of the likelihood of injury.

"I regard backpacking as just one more physical activity where stretching confers benefits like flexibility and reduction of the likelihood of injury."

I don't find ultralight backpacking very strenuous at all. At its minimum, it is just walking. At its maximum, it is just walking farther. The likelihood of injury from walking as an activity in and of itself with a light load is minimal and less dependent on flexibility in preventing any injury than a multitude of other recreational sports. Surfing or jujitsu are considerably different activities that require much higher levels of strength and high tension endurance (I.e. Strength endurance). Flexibility would be more important with these activities. Just my experience, of course (not the surfing, however. Taking Craig's word).

Thanks Michael for the link on static stretching.

With proper training 50+ k per day for multiple days should be very attainable. Even for weekend warriors.

When ya'll are talking about stretching, make sure you define your terms first. Stretching can mean many things.

"I don't find ultralight backpacking very strenuous at all. At its minimum, it is just walking. At its maximum, it is just walking farther. The likelihood of injury from walking as an activity in and of itself with a light load is minimal and less dependent on flexibility in preventing any injury than a multitude of other recreational sports."

I can think of several reasons for our differing perceptions of the strenuousness of UL backpacking. My guess is that you are bigger, stronger, faster, probably more gifted physically, and most definitely younger than I. Therefore, what seems easy to you requires considerably more effort, and the requisite training to prepare for it, on my part. Another possibility is that we backpack and perhaps train, if you even need to for such an easy sport, in very different environments. In my case, I have learned with time and experience that, if I am to be able to achieve my backpacking goals, and not injure myself in the process, I need to both train and stretch regularly to maintain decent cardio vascular function, strength, and flexibility. The latter has proven effective in keeping my injuries to a minimum, both in number and seriousness, as well as improving my mobility in the field. Just my personal experience. YMMV, as always.

"Surfing or jujitsu are considerably different activities that require much higher levels of strength and high tension endurance (I.e. Strength endurance). Flexibility would be more important with these activities. Just my experience, of course (not the surfing, however. Taking Craig's word)."

More important, almost certainly, but that does not mean it is not important at all in UL backpacking, at least not IME.

Sorry I missed this guys…

Here is the scoop on stretching, from a physiological standpoint first:

You have sensors in your muscles (called muscle spindles) that are designed to respond to stretch – both the velocity and quantity of stretch. When the spindles are triggered, your muscle contracts to protect the neighboring joints. When you stretch, all you are doing is gradually habituating the sensor to the new length so that it doesn't send an alarm to trigger the reflexive muscle contraction. So…will you be more "flexible" if you stretch? Kind of, and maybe, but only in that your muscle sensors *may* be more tolerant to greater movement. But not everyone, actually. For many folks, that doesn't happen (and you know people who claim to stretch all the time and they still lack flexibility). Your muscles do not add length, they do not "soften," or anything like that. They simple will move through more range prior to sending the signal to contract back down. This has no known physiological or functional benefit.

In terms of athletic performance, there is no evidence anywhere that "stretching" specifically to be more flexible has any benefit in terms of power, endurance, etc. As a matter of fact, those who stretched (statically) prior to tasks requiring power performed worse than people who did not stretch. This is because many things you want to be able to do (jump across a stream, for example) actually USE that muscle spindle reflex to provide more muscle power during an action.

The new "in" thing seems to be "dynamic stretching," which really is simply a series of movements that move through your available range of motion in order to increase blood flow. It doesn't actually lengthen muscles either, nor does it actually condition the muscle spindles to allow for greater excursion.

As Dave mentioned – the common finding in terms of injury prevention throughout most of the stretching literature seems to be consistency: those who continued whatever "stretching" program they were on stayed the most injury free…and those who tried to change it up (adding stretching when they didn't before, or getting rid of it if they did it) were the ones who got hurt more frequently.

I can get more specific literature citations and quotes if you want them. There is actually quite a bit being published on this recently (as evidenced by the NYTimes article).

Hope that's helpful…

Good point Rex, and I feel the same way personally. I love to stretch after a long day of doing anything – be it sitting still (need to open up those bent hips!) or hiking all day. There is an endorphin release that happens in these situations, and this is why many of us feel really good when we stretch after a difficult (or sustained) bout of (in)activity.

Anything that changes what has been happening repetitively will feel good – i.e. sitting all day then you want to go for a long walk or run (legs bent all day – now they are being pulled into extension), or static stretching for long slow holds if you have been walking or running for a long time. It's a change in activity and movement direction and this is always a good thing.

I don't want to come out against stretching by any means – as I said I do it myself and it feels great. But I think the important thing to come away with as a backpacker is to appreciate that you aren't really DOING anything to the physiology of your muscle, you don't HAVE to do it (but if you do and you like it…great!).