Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33459990›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2021

Non-local Acute Passive Stretching Effects on Range of Motion in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

David G Behm, Shahab Alizadeh, Saman Hadjizadeh Anvar, Ben Drury, Urs Granacher, Jason Moran

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 36 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
36citing papers in PubMed, 15 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

36 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  2. The effects of chronic stretch training on musculoskeletal pain.European journal of applied physiology · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

David G BehmSchool of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada. dbehm@mun.ca.
Shahab AlizadehSchool of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.
Saman Hadjizadeh AnvarSchool of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada.
Ben DruryDepartment of Applied Sport Sciences, Hartpury University, Hartpury, UK.
Urs GranacherDivision of Training and Movement Science, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Jason MoranSchool of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Essex, UK. jmorana@essex.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStretching a muscle not only increases the extensibility or range of motion (ROM) of the stretched muscle or joint but there is growing evidence of increased ROM of contralateral and other non-local muscles and joints.

objectiveThe objective of this meta-analysis was to quantify crossover or non-local changes in passive ROM following an acute bout of unilateral stretching and to examine potential dose-response relations.

methodsEleven studies involving 14 independent measures met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis included moderating variables such as sex, trained state, stretching intensity and duration.

resultsThe analysis revealed that unilateral passive static stretching induced moderate magnitude (standard mean difference within studies: SMD: 0.86) increases in passive ROM with non-local, non-stretched joints. Moderating variables such as sex, trained state, stretching intensity, and duration did not moderate the results. Although stretching duration did not present statistically significant differences, greater than 240-s of stretching (SMD: 1.24) exhibited large magnitude increases in non-local ROM compared to moderate magnitude improvements with shorter (< 120-s: SMD: 0.72) durations of stretching.

conclusionPassive static stretching of one muscle group can induce moderate magnitude, global increases in ROM. Stretching durations greater than 240 s may have larger effects compared with shorter stretching durations.

Indexed as

Muscle Stretching ExercisesAdultCross-Over StudiesHumansMuscle, SkeletalRange of Motion, Articular

Identifiers

PMID33459990

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.