Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39614059›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2025

Optimising the Dose of Static Stretching to Improve Flexibility: A Systematic Review, Meta-analysis and Multivariate Meta-regression.

Lewis A Ingram, Grant R Tomkinson, Noah M A d'Unienville, Bethany Gower, Sam Gleadhill, Terry Boyle, Hunter Bennett

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 6 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

11 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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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

7 authors.

Lewis A IngramAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia. Lewis.Ingram@unisa.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-2741-1574
Grant R TomkinsonAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-7601-9670
Noah M A d'UnienvilleAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-4196-1321
Bethany GowerAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6969-6913
Sam GleadhillAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-2303-6001
Terry BoyleAustralian Centre for Precision Health, Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-6741-330X
Hunter BennettAlliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA), Allied Health and Human Performance, University of South Australia, GPO Box 2471, Adelaide, SA, 5001, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-8541-9104

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundStatic stretching is widely used to increase flexibility. However, there is no consensus regarding the optimal dosage parameters for increasing flexibility.

objectivesWe aimed to determine the optimal frequency, intensity and volume to maximise flexibility through static stretching, and to investigate whether this is moderated by muscle group, age, sex, training status and baseline level of flexibility.

methodsSeven databases (CINAHL Complete, Cochrane CENTRAL, Embase, Emcare, MEDLINE, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus) were systematically searched up to June 2024. Randomised and non-randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of a single session (acute) or multiple sessions (chronic) of static stretching on one or more flexibility outcomes (compared to non-stretching passive controls) among adults (aged ≥ 18 years) were included. A multi-level meta-analysis examined the effect of acute and chronic static stretching on flexibility outcomes, while multivariate meta-regression was used to determine the volume at which increases in flexibility were maximised.

resultsData from 189 studies representing 6654 adults (61% male; mean [standard deviation] age = 26.8 ± 11.4 years) were included. We found a moderate positive effect of acute static stretching on flexibility (summary Hedges' g = 0.63, 95% confidence interval 0.52-0.75, p < 0.001) and a large positive effect of chronic static stretching on flexibility (summary Hedges' g = 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.84-1.09, p < 0.001). Neither effect was moderated by stretching intensity, age, sex or training status, or weekly session frequency and intervention length (chronic static stretching only) [p > 0.05]. However, larger improvements were found for adults with poor baseline flexibility compared with adults with average baseline flexibility (p = 0.01). Furthermore, larger improvements in flexibility were found in the hamstrings compared with the spine following acute static stretching (p = 0.04). Improvements in flexibility were maximised by a cumulative stretching volume of 4 min per session (acute) and 10 min per week (chronic).

conclusionsStatic stretching improves flexibility in adults, with no additional benefit observed beyond 4 min per session or 10 min per week. Although intensity, frequency, age, sex and training status do not influence improvements in flexibility, lower flexibility levels are associated with greater improvement following both acute and chronic static stretching. These guidelines for static stretching can be used by coaches and therapists to improve flexibility. CLINICAL

trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42023420168.

Indexed as

Muscle Stretching ExercisesRange of Motion, ArticularAdultFemaleHumansMale

Identifiers

PMID39614059

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.