Do flexible muscles burn more calories than non-flexible muscles?

[cbrunny]

Another odd question, but one that I've been wondering about.

I am very inflexible. I have started a 30 min/day stretching routine that targets some problem-areas to improve flexibility, primarily to reduce the probability of injury down the road.

As I understand it, flexible muscles are longer than non-flexible muscles. That is, stretching regularly encourages long muscles, and that's what keeps people flexible. But are these long muscles just "normal" muscles stretched out, or do they actually contain more proteins/fibers/muscle tissue mass than one that isn't stretched out.

To be clear: I'm thinking of someone like me who has, say x-amount of muscle mass in an inflexible muscle. After 6 months of daily stretching of that muscle, becoming notably more flexible, does the muscle mass become x+y (all else being equal) or is it still x-amount of mass?

And how does that translate into burning more calories as far as BMR goes?

 

[DigDog]

non-flexible muscles??

also, the act of stretching doesn't change the mass of the muscle, on its own.

 

[SlitheryDee]

I don't have any scientific data to back this up, but my gut feeling is that the answer to your question is no. If you stretch right now, you'll immediately feel the difference in the form of improved flexibility and mobility. You didn't just add more muscle in the few minutes you were stretching. You made the tissue you already had longer. I'm guessing that stretching regularly results in a more permanent change, but not a fundamentally different one.

 

[cbrunny]

I don't have any scientific data to back this up, but my gut feeling is that the answer to your question is no. If you stretch right now, you'll immediately feel the difference in the form of improved flexibility and mobility. You didn't just add more muscle in the few minutes you were stretching. You made the tissue you already had longer. I'm guessing that stretching regularly results in a more permanent change, but not a fundamentally different one.

That's basically what I'm trying to figure out. Thanks for the input.

 

[cbrunny]

non-flexible muscles??

I can't touch my toes without bending my knee. I am not flexible. This isn't rocket science.

 

[DigDog]

can you name a muscle which does not flex?

because as i understand it, the purpose of a muscle is to flex. that's why we have them. so that by flexing them, we can move our skeleton.

also, no.

 

[Caveman]

DigDog, you're making this more difficult than it really is... gymnasts have great flexibility - the OP does not. The whole question of flexibility is of interest to me as I was very flexible as a kid and now in my mid 40's I am very inflexible... My muscles hurt way too much and are very tight all the time... I've tried muscle relaxers, etc... but those only help marginally... My legs are the worst part... Looking for answers...

 

[cbrunny]

can you name a muscle which does not flex?

because as i understand it, the purpose of a muscle is to flex. that's why we have them. so that by flexing them, we can move our skeleton.

also, no.

go troll somewhere else.

 

[DigDog]

im trying to interpret the title of the thread. for someone who is a native english speaker, you are not doing very well.

after a long study, i have come to the conclusion that your original question is, "if i stretch my muscles before a workout, will i burn more calories?"

yes, you will (slightly, and slightly more for the act of stretching), as you are performing more action.

you'll want to work a bit on your vocabulary as well.

 

[cbrunny]

im trying to interpret the title of the thread. for someone who is a native english speaker, you are not doing very well.

after a long study, i have come to the conclusion that your original question is, "if i stretch my muscles before a workout, will i burn more calories?"

yes, you will (slightly, and slightly more for the act of stretching), as you are performing more action.

you'll want to work a bit on your vocabulary as well.

You are trolling. Go troll somewhere else. Your input is not welcome in this thread as you've proven that you don't actually care about the thread's content. Not only that, but you've also misinterpreted the question. And I don't respect you enough to actually correct you.

 

[Pantlegz]

The only way I could see this making any sense is if blood flows through limber muscles with less resistance than tight muscles. The reason I say this is because a majority of fat loss is from oxidation and if you're able to get oxygen to/from the muscles quicker you might increase oxidation but other than that, with a quick google and limited facts to back it up, I think the answer would be no. I also can't imagine if does in fact increase oxidation that would make a whole lot of a difference to your BMR but again without being able to find a study it's hard to say.

 

[cbrunny]

The only way I could see this making any sense is if blood flows through limber muscles with less resistance than tight muscles. The reason I say this is because a majority of fat loss is from oxidation and if you're able to get oxygen to/from the muscles quicker you might increase oxidation but other than that, with a quick google and limited facts to back it up, I think the answer would be no. I also can't imagine if does in fact increase oxidation that would make a whole lot of a difference to your BMR but again without being able to find a study it's hard to say.

oh interesting. I hadn't even considered that. Hmm.... less resistance in the muscle... (if true) presumably this would mean lower blood pressure, which is generally good. Probably wouldn't have much impact on BMR though as you've suggested.

I wonder if a lower blood pressure would help muscles oxidate... getting off topic, but i suspect not, since when you exert and pulse increases, blood pressure also increases temporarily as that exertion occurs. Might help in periods of rest, but in exercise I would think any difference would be negligible.

 

[hightree]

Your muscles become more flexible by regular stretching. This is pretty much all you need to know. Typically, after regular stretching for some days, you will be likely able to finger-touch the ground with the extended knees. You do not need more or less muscle mass for that or blood or oxygen or...

 

[cbrunny]

Your muscles become more flexible by regular stretching. This is pretty much all you need to know. Typically, after regular stretching for some days, you will be likely able to finger-touch the ground with the extended knees. You do not need more or less muscle mass for that or blood or oxygen or...

right. but that's not quite what i'm asking. I'm asking if going from State-A, where I can't touch the ground with extended knees, to State-B, where I can touch the ground with extended knees, results in an increase in muscle mass directly as a result of becoming more flexible.

Put another way, what is it about muscles that makes them more flexible? Is it actual mass increase (e.g. proteins, literal cells) or just a property that muscle has?

Put yet another way, if you could somehow set up an experiment where you had a living and fully functional hamstring muscle in a lab that for the duration of the experiment was an identical mass, and it could remain alive because magic, and you stretched this muscle in a controlled way every day, would it get more flexible or would it be as flexible on day 200 as it was on day 1?

 

[hightree]

I don't know the exact answer, but with regular stretching, the involved muscles, their tendons and the ligaments in the related joints become more loose or lax if you want and that's all a mechanical process, not a chemical or metabolic process and there is no increased protein synthesis or chemical changes in the muscle cells involved. Stretching alone does not result in any increase of muscle mass or strength.

In the lab experiment, with regular stretching, the muscle would probably become a bit longer, that is more stretched (you said flexible) but only to a certain limit and it would remain so until you continue with stretching. After stopping stretching, after a certain time, the muscle would return in its initial less stretched state.

It's like squeezing plasticine (modelling clay); you squeeze it repeatedly and it becomes soft. You left it for a while and it becomes hard again.

Stretching exercise makes a muscle looser (greater range of motion in the related joints) - that's a pure mechanical process.

Strengthening exercise makes a muscle stronger (increased muscle mass and cross section, which is caused by incorporation of greater amount of protein in it) - that's a metabolic process.

 

[cbrunny]

very interesting. Thank you!

I like the Plasticine analogy. I'll keep that in mind.