TABLE 1.
Summary of the results and summary of the participants and intervention characteristics of the studies which investigated the acute effects of stretching on running economy and running performance.
| Study | Subjects |
Stretching intervention |
Main outcome in % change | |
| Muscle (group) | Type/duration | |||
| Allison et al., 2008 | Ten male runners (Ø VO2 max. 60.1 ± 7.3 ml/kg/min) Age: 25 ± 5 |
Lower body | Eight static stretches of 4 × 40 s (unilateral) | ↑ RoM (sit and reach) (nr% pre to post) |
| ↓ CMJ height (5.5% pre to post) | ||||
| ↓ Isometric strength (5.6% pre to post) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in oxygen uptake (0% pre to post) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in minute ventilation (+2.26% pre to post) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in energy expenditure (+0.65% pre to post) | ||||
| ↑ RoM (sit and reach) (nr; compared with the control condition) | ||||
| ↓ Drop jump height (nr; compared with the control condition) | ||||
| Damasceno et al., 2014 | Eleven male long distance runners (Ø VO2 max. 51.0 ± 3.0 ml/kg/min) Age: 35.7 ± 6.1 |
Lower body | Seven static stretches of 3 × 30 s each | Constant speed test variables (at 12 km/h; all compared to the control condition) |
| ↔ Changes in running economy (−2.22%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in caloric unit cost (−3.00%) | ||||
| ↑ Stride time (1.83%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in contact time (−2.40%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in flight time (+1.99%) | ||||
| ↑ iEMG of biceps femoris (22.34%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in iEMG of gastrocnemius med. (+19.20%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in iEMG of vastus med. (6.25%) | ||||
| Time/trial test variables (for 3 km) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in overall running time (+1.01%) | ||||
| ↑ RoM (hip flexion): static (28.92%), PNF (15.58%) (pre to post); | ||||
| ↑ RoM (hip extension): static (36.36%), PNF (69.23%) (pre to post) | ||||
| Godges et al., 1989 | Seven males | Hip extensors | –>Static stretching group: 10 min | Oxygen consumption following static stretching: |
| Age: 20 | –>PNF stretching group: like static, but including soft tissue mobilization | ↓ Oxygen consumption at 40% of VO2 max (6.64%) (pre to post) | ||
| ↓ Oxygen consumption at 60% of VO2 max (4.16%) (pre to post) | ||||
| ↓ Oxygen consumption at 80% of VO2 max (3.83%) (pre to post) | ||||
| Oxygen consumption following PNF stretching: | ||||
| ↔ Changes in oxygen consumption at 40% of VO2 max | ||||
| (−3.14%) (pre to post) | ||||
| ↓ Oxygen consumption at 60% of VO2 max (3.75%) (pre to post); | ||||
| ↔ Changes in oxygen consumption at 80% of VO2 max | ||||
| (−2.34%) (pre to post) | ||||
| Hayes and Walker, 2007 | Seven male middle and long distance runners (Ø VO2 max. 66.8 ± 7.0 ml/kg/min) Age: 32.5 ± 7.7 |
Lower body | five exercises | In all three techniques |
| @ 2 × 30 s for: | ↑RoM (sit and reach): static (nr), progressive static (nr), dynamic (nr) (pre to post) | |||
| >Static stretching | ↔ Changes in running economy: static (1.04%) | |||
| >Progressive static stretching | Progressive static (1.83%), dynamic (0.86%) (compared with the control condition) | |||
| >Dynamic stretching | ↔ Changes in steady-state oxygen uptake | |||
| Static: nr, progressive static; nr, dynamic: nr (compared with the control condition) ↑ RoM (sit and reach) (17.22% pre to post) |
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| Lowery et al., 2014 | Ten male distance runners (Ø VO2 max 64.9 ± 6.5 ml/kg/min) Age: 24 ± 5 | Lower body | Six static stretches of 3 × 30 s each |
↓ One-mile uphill run time (3.07% compared with the control condition) |
| ↑ Ground contact time (12.58% pre to post) | ||||
| ↑ Muscle activation (15.71% pre to post) | ||||
| ↑ RoM (sit and reach) (pre to post 11.07%) | ||||
| Mojock et al., 2011 | Twelve female long distance runners (Ø VO2 max 48.4 ±5.1 ml/kg/min Age: 30 ± 9 |
Lower body | Five static stretches of 2 × 60 s each |
Preload run variables (at 65% VO2 max—compared to the control condition) |
| ↔ Changes in average heart rate (+1.88%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in rate of perceived exertion (0%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in energy expenditure (0%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in 65% VO2 (+0.29%) | ||||
| Performance run variables (compared to the control condition) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in average heart rate (+1.13%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in heart rate max (+0.53%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in rate of perceived exertion average (0%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in rate of perceived exertion max (0%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in running speed (0%) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in covered distance (−0.18%) | ||||
| Takizawa et al., 2015 | Seven male middle or long distance runners (Ø VO2 max. 72.3 ±3.7 ml/kg/min) Age: 21.3 ± 2.1 |
Lower body | Five static stretches of 1 × 20 s each |
↔ Changes at time to exhaustion at 90% of VO2 max |
| (−0.17% compared with the control condition) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in oxygen uptake (nr% compared with the control condition) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in vastus lateralis temperature after stretching (−1.09% compared with the control condition) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in blood lactate accumulation after stretching (+11.00% compared with the control condition) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in blood lactate accumulation after performance run (+5.21% compared with the control condition) | ||||
| Wilson et al., 2010 | Ten male distance runners (Ø VO2 max 63.8 ± 2.8 ml/kg/min) Age: 25 ± 7 | Lower body | Five static stretches of 4 × 30 s each |
↑ Performance in a 30-min run (3.44% compared with the control condition) ↑ Energy expenditure during 30-min performance run (4.71% compared with the control condition) |
| Yamaguchi et al., 2015 | Seven male middle or long distance runners (Ø VO2 max. 72.3 ± 3.7 ml/kg/min) Age: 21.3 ± 2.1 |
Lower body | Five dynamic stretches with 10 reps as fast as possible (total = 217 ± 17 s) |
↑ Time to exhaustion (15.43% compared with the control condition) |
| ↑ Total running distance (15.91% compared with the control condition) ↔ Changes in VO2 (−0.95% compared with the control condition) ↔ Changes in lactate (+ 8.39% compared with the control condition) |
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| ↔ Changes in heart rate (+0.11% compared with the control condition) | ||||
| Yamaguchi et al., 2020 | Sixteen male long distance runners (Ø VO2 max. 71.9 ± 3.6 ml/kg/min) Age: 20.9 ± 2.1 |
Lower body | Five dynamic stretches with 10 reps as fast as possible (total = 220 ± 9 s) |
↑ Time to exhaustion (16.78% compared with the running warm-up) |
| ↔ Differences in VO2 uptake between dynamic stretching group and running warm-up group during assessment of running performance | ||||
| Zourdos et al., 2012 | Fourteen male trained runners (VO2 max 63.1 ± 8.3 ml/kg/min) Age: 23.0 ± 4.3 |
Lower body | Ten dynamic stretches with 2 × 4 reps (total = 900 s) | ↑ RoM (sit and reach) (16.41% pre to post) |
| ↑ Resting VO2 (35.48% pre to post) | ||||
| ↑ Energy cost during 30-min preload run (4.18% compared with the control condition) | ||||
| ↔ Changes in the distance run (−3.28% compared with the control condition) | ||||
RoM, range of motion; CMJ, countermovement jump; ↑, significant increase; ↓, significant decrease; ↔, no significant change; nr, not reported.