Research
Mixed
Greater variety of stretching exercises, longer mean duration of single stretching exercises, and increased time under stretching per session, week, and in total are associated with greater skeletal muscle hypertrophy.
To maximize any potential muscle growth from stretching, use multiple different stretching exercises, hold each for longer than 60 seconds, and increase the total time you spend stretching per week.
GoodSupportsMEDIUM confidence
Subanalysis suggested the potential for greater skeletal muscle hypertrophy in samples with higher percentages of females... Furthermore, a greater variety of stretching exercises elicited larger increases in muscle hypertrophy (β = 0.069, [95% CI = 0.041 to 0.097]). Longer durations of single stretching exercises (β = 0.006, [95% CI = 0.002 to 0.010]), time under stretching per session (β = 0.006, [95% CI = 0.003 to 0.009]), per week (β = 0.001, [95% CI = 0.000 to 0.001]) and in total (β = 0.008, [95% CI = 0.003 to 0.013]) induced larger muscle hypertrophy.
Why this rating
Based on meta-regression within a systematic review.
Source
Chronic Effects of Static Stretching Exercises on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy in Healthy Individuals: A Systematic Review and Multilevel Meta-Analysis
Fabian Arntz et al. · Sports Medicine - Open · 2024
DOI 10.1186/s40798-024-00772-y
Meta-analysis · 25 studiesCited 7×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Chronic static stretching exercises produce an overall unclear effect on skeletal muscle hypertrophy in healthy individuals, with a trivial point estimate and a prediction interval ranging from trivial negative to moderate positive effects.Good
- Trained individuals experience larger stretching-induced muscle gains compared to recreationally trained or sedentary individuals.Good
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