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Effects of post-exercise stretching versus no stretching on lower limb muscle recovery and performance: a meta-analysis
2025 systematic review and meta-analysis (15 RCTs, n=465) finds post-exercise stretching as a standalone recovery step did not significantly improve muscle soreness, strength, performance, flexibility, or pain threshold versus no stretching (all pooled SMD CIs crossing zero), supporting integration with multimodal recovery rather than expecting large isolated effects.
Design
- Corpus: 15 studies, n = 465 (search through 20 Jul 2025)
- Intervention: post-exercise stretching (static, dynamic, or PNF) vs no stretching
- Endpoints: DOMS, strength, flexibility, performance, pain threshold
- Model: random-effects SMD; Cochrane RoB 2
Pooled vs no-stretching (all non-significant in abstract)
- Muscle soreness: SMD −0.06 (95% CI −0.32 to 0.19; p = 0.63)
- Strength: SMD 0.27 (95% CI −0.14 to 0.68; p = 0.19)
- Performance: SMD 0.18 (95% CI −0.11 to 0.46; p = 0.22)
- Flexibility: SMD −0.06 (95% CI −0.31 to 0.20; p = 0.67)
- Pain threshold: SMD −0.02 (95% CI −0.41 to 0.37; p = 0.93)
Evidence hygiene
Standalone post-exercise stretching may be safe but not a large-effect recovery lever in this pooled set—pair with sleep, nutrition, load management, and contrast/CWI evidence where appropriate.
Publication
Zhang P, Chen J, Xing T. Front Physiol. 2025 Oct 1;16:1674871. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2025.1674871. PMID 41103301.
Outcomes
- Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness at 24 hours-0.06SMD (Standardized Mean Difference)
- Abstract: pooled SMDs for strength, performance, flexibility, and pain threshold likewise crossed null with p>0.18—no significant standalone recovery signal vs no stretching.