Stretching straps, mats and mobility tools fill a large corner of the fitness market, and the claims made for stretching run from more flexibility to better lifting to bigger muscles. This article summarises three systematic reviews and meta-analyses, published in 2016, 2021 and 2024, that test stretching against specific outcomes: performance in a workout that follows it, range of motion compared with strength training, and strength and muscle size after weeks of stretching. It is about training results and equipment choice, not injury prevention or treatment, and it is general information, not medical advice.
Stretching before a workout: the 2016 review
Behm, Blazevich, Kay and McHugh, in Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (2016), compared static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching. Performance tested immediately after stretching changed by -3.7% after static stretching, +1.3% after dynamic stretching and -4.4% after PNF stretching. The authors said the effects were small to moderate and possibly due to reduced muscle activation after static and PNF stretching.
Duration mattered. Static stretching held for 60 seconds or more per muscle group was linked to a performance deficit of -4.6%, against -1.1% for holds of less than 60 seconds. Static stretching showed a moderate 2.2% performance benefit at longer muscle lengths. Testing took place on average 3 to 5 minutes after stretching, and in the studies that added dynamic activity after the stretching, no clear performance effect was observed. Dynamic stretching produced small to moderate performance improvements when done within minutes of the activity. All forms of stretching improved range of motion, but typically for less than 30 minutes. The authors concluded that stretching within a warm-up that includes further dynamic activity has inconsequential effects on later athletic performance and increases joint range of motion.
These are pooled figures across many studies of varied designs, and they describe tests done minutes after stretching. They do not show what happens to strength across weeks. The guide to warming up and cooling down for home workouts covers the wider warm-up question.
Stretching against strength training for range of motion: the 2021 meta-analysis
Afonso and colleagues, in Healthcare (2021), pooled 11 randomised controlled trials with 452 participants that compared strength training with stretching for improving range of motion (ROM). The pooled effect showed no difference between strength training and stretching (effect size -0.22; 95% confidence interval -0.55 to 0.12; p = 0.206). Subgroup analyses by risk of bias, active against passive ROM and joint also found no difference between the two approaches. The authors concluded that strength training and stretching were not different in their effects on ROM, but that the studies were highly heterogeneous in design, protocols and populations, so further research was warranted.
The pooled data therefore do not show that stretching is the only route to more range of motion.
Stretching as a way to build strength and size: the 2024 meta-analysis
Warneke and colleagues, in Sports Medicine – Open (2024), pooled 42 randomised controlled trials with 1,318 participants, each lasting at least two weeks, on chronic static stretching. Stretching produced small increases in maximal strength (d = 0.30; p < 0.001), with stretching duration and intervention time as significant moderators. Across all studies it produced small but significant hypertrophy effects (d = 0.20). Longer stretching durations, longer intervention periods and higher training frequencies produced small but significant effects (d = 0.26 to 0.28), while lower doses did not reach significance (p = 0.13 to 0.39). The authors concluded that, while of minor effectiveness, chronic static stretching is a possible alternative to resistance training for improving strength and increasing muscle size, and that higher durations and frequencies need further study.
The effects are small, so the result does not support treating stretching as equal to lifting. This is also a different question from loaded training at long muscle lengths, which the guide to stretch-mediated hypertrophy covers.
What this means for equipment and routine
- No equipment is needed for stretching itself. A strap, mat or wall may add convenience, but the reviews tested stretching, not products, so they give no basis for ranking stretching tools. The guide to mobility and balance equipment compares the kit.
- Before lifting, dynamic movement fits the 2016 evidence better than long static holds, because holds of a minute or more per muscle group were linked to bigger short-term performance losses.
- Range of motion can come from strength work too. The 2021 meta-analysis found no difference in ROM gains between the two approaches, and the guide to range of motion in strength training covers full against partial repetitions.
Frequently asked questions
Does static stretching make you weaker?
Immediately afterwards, on average, slightly: -3.7% in the 2016 review, larger for holds of 60 seconds or more and unclear once dynamic activity followed. Over weeks, the 2024 meta-analysis found small strength increases from chronic stretching.
Is stretching better than lifting for flexibility?
The 2021 meta-analysis found no difference in range of motion between the two.
The bottom line
A 2016 review found that static stretching briefly reduced performance when tested straight afterwards, most with long holds, while dynamic stretching slightly raised it and no clear effect remained once dynamic activity followed. A 2021 meta-analysis found strength training and stretching similar for range of motion, and a 2024 meta-analysis found chronic stretching gave small strength and muscle size gains. Stretching does not need equipment, and the evidence supports choosing it by goal and timing, not by product.
Sources
- Behm et al., “Acute effects of muscle stretching on physical performance, range of motion, and injury incidence in healthy active individuals: a systematic review”, Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism (2016)
- Afonso et al., “Strength Training versus Stretching for Improving Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, Healthcare (2021)
- Warneke et al., “Effects of Chronic Static Stretching on Maximal Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis with Meta-Regression”, Sports Medicine – Open (2024)