Does Stretching Training Influence Muscular Strength? A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

Thomas, Ewan; Ficarra, Salvatore; Nunes, João Pedro; Paoli, Antonio; Bellafiore, Marianna; Palma, Antonio; Bianco, Antonino

doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000004400

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 87 publications

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“…Two reviews addressed acute [49,50] and four [12,14,15,51] chronic ROM effects. The same applied to strength outcomes (acute: [21,49], chronic: [52][53][54][55]. Nine papers [9, 26-28, 34, 35, 56-58] examined prevention of injury, while three reviews investigated a potential prophylactic impact on muscle soreness [28,57,59].…”

Section: Part Onementioning

confidence: 99%

The knowledge of movement experts about stretching effects: Does the science reach practice?

Warneke,

Konrad,

Wilke

2024

PLoS ONE

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Objective Stretching is performed with numerous purposes in multiple settings such as prevention, rehabilitation, fitness training and sports. Its patterns of use substantially depend on the education and beliefs of health care and exercise professionals as they represent the multiplicators recommending and prescribing interventions to clients, patients and athletes. This study investigated movement experts’ knowledge about the scientific evidence on stretching effects. Design Survey study. Participants A total of 117 exercise and health professionals (physiotherapists, sports scientists, coaches) attending a training convention in Austria (male: n = 44, female: n = 73, 36±11 years) completed a digital survey. With its 22 items, the questionnaire addressed the movement experts’ awareness of the evidence on stretching effects regarding a variety of related topics selected based on the findings of topical systematic reviews. Results The majority of the individuals (57–88%) assumed positive effects of stretching on recovery, prevention of muscle injury, range of motion, muscular imbalance and artery elasticity. No or adverse effects were mostly claimed on bone injury prevention, maximal/explosive strength, and delayed-onset muscle soreness. In only 10 of 22 items, participants’ classifications were in accord with the scientific evidence. Conclusions The awareness of research findings on stretching effects among exercise and health professionals is alarmingly low. Future studies may hence be geared to improve implementation and science communication.

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Section: Part Onementioning

confidence: 99%

The knowledge of movement experts about stretching effects: Does the science reach practice?

Warneke,

Konrad,

Wilke

2024

PLoS ONE

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Effects of Chronic Static Stretching on Maximal Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Meta-Regression

Warneke,

Lohmann,

Behm

et al. 2024

Sports Med - Open

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Background Increases in maximal strength and muscle volume represent central aims of training interventions. Recent research suggested that the chronic application of stretch may be effective in inducing hypertrophy. The present systematic review therefore aimed to syntheisize the evidence on changes of strength and muscle volume following chronic static stretching. Methods Three data bases were sceened to conduct a systematic review with meta-analysis. Studies using randomized, controlled trials with longitudinal (≥ 2 weeks) design, investigating strength and muscle volume following static stretching in humans, were included. Study quality was rated by two examiners using the PEDro scale. Results A total of 42 studies with 1318 cumulative participants were identified. Meta-analyses using robust variance estimation showed small stretch-mediated maximal strength increases (d = 0.30 p < 0.001) with stretching duration and intervention time as significant moderators. Including all studies, stretching induced small magnitude, but significant hypertrophy effects (d = 0.20). Longer stretching durations and intervention periods as well as higher training frequencies revealed small (d = 0.26–0.28), but significant effects (p < 0.001–0.005), while lower dosage did not reach the level of significance (p = 0.13–0.39). Conclusions While of minor effectiveness, chronic static stretching represents a possible alternative to resistance training when aiming to improve strength and increase muscle size. As a dose-response relationship may exist, higher stretch durations and frequencies as well as long program durations should be further elaborated.

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Why Flexibility Deserves to Be Further Considered as a Standard Component of Physical Fitness: A Narrative Review of Existing Insights from Static Stretching Study Interventions

Bouguezzi

Sammoud

Markov

et al. 2023

Youth

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The utility of flexibility as a standard component of physical fitness has recently been questioned, sparking a heated debate among scientists. More specifically, it has recently been proposed to retire flexibility as a major component of physical fitness and as a result de-emphasis stretching from exercise prescriptions. The aim of this narrative review was to summarize and discuss the most recent evidence related to the chronic effects of static stretching (SS) on muscle strength, muscle power, muscle hypertrophy, and injury prevention in healthy individuals. A literature search was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, SPORTDiscus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar up to November 2022. We only considered studies written in English that addressed the chronic effects of SS exercises on flexibility, muscle strength, muscle power, muscle hypertrophy, or injury prevention in healthy individuals. With reference to the existing knowledge, we concluded that flexibility deserves to be further considered as a standard component of physical fitness. This is based on the findings that in addition to flexibility, long-term SS training induces positive effects on muscle strength, muscle power, and muscle hypertrophy, irrespective of age and sex. There are also indications that long-term SS training could mitigate the risk of injury, although this remains a debatable topic. Furthermore, promising evidence shows that combining resistance training with SS exercises constitutes an effective approach benefiting muscle strength and hypertrophy more than resistance training alone. In conclusion, we would not support the recent suggestion that flexibility should be retired as a standard component of physical fitness and we would advocate for a continuous emphasis on the prescription of stretching exercises.

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Does Stretching Training Influence Muscular Strength? A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression

Abstract: Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.

Cited by 3 publications

References 87 publications

The knowledge of movement experts about stretching effects: Does the science reach practice?

The knowledge of movement experts about stretching effects: Does the science reach practice?

Effects of Chronic Static Stretching on Maximal Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Meta-Regression

Why Flexibility Deserves to Be Further Considered as a Standard Component of Physical Fitness: A Narrative Review of Existing Insights from Static Stretching Study Interventions

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