AI Article Synopsis
- - The meta-analysis reviewed 77 studies to determine which variables, like stretching technique and frequency, most effectively improve joint range of motion (ROM) in healthy individuals.
- - Results showed a moderate overall improvement in ROM with stretch training, with static and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation techniques being more effective than ballistic/dynamic methods.
- - Findings indicated that females experienced greater gains in ROM compared to males, but other variables like age and trained state did not show significant differences.
Article Abstract
Background: It is well known that stretch training can induce prolonged increases in joint range of motion (ROM). However, to date more information is needed regarding which training variables might have greater influence on improvements in flexibility. Thus, the purpose of this meta-analysis was to investigate the effects of stretch training on ROM in healthy participants by considering potential moderating variables, such as stretching technique, intensity, duration, frequency, and muscles stretched, as well as sex-specific, age-specific, and/or trained state-specific adaptations to stretch training.
Methods: We searched through PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SportDiscus to find eligible studies and, finally, assessed the results from 77 studies and 186 effect sizes by applying a random-effect meta-analysis. Moreover, by applying a mixed-effect model, we performed the respective subgroup analyses. To find potential relationships between stretch duration or age and effect sizes, we performed a meta-regression.
Results: We found a significant overall effect, indicating that stretch training can increase ROM with a moderate effect compared to the controls (effect size = -1.002; Z = -12.074; 95% confidence interval: -1.165 to -0.840; p < 0.001; I = 74.97). Subgroup analysis showed a significant difference between the stretching techniques (p = 0.01) indicating that proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation and static stretching produced greater ROM than did ballistic/dynamic stretching. Moreover, there was a significant effect between the sexes (p = 0.04), indicating that females showed higher gains in ROM compared to males. However, further moderating analysis showed no significant relation or difference.
Conclusion: When the goal is to maximize ROM in the long term, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation or static stretching, rather than ballistic/dynamic stretching, should be applied. Something to consider in future research as well as sports practice is that neither volume, intensity, nor frequency of stretching were found to play a significant role in ROM yields.
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Source |
|---|---|
| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10980866 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2023.06.002 | DOI Listing |
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