Musculoskeletal Stretching and Arterial Stiffness: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Acute and Longitudinal Interventions.
Jeongok G Logan, Aiden J Chauntry, Hui Zhao et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis examined acute and longitudinal musculoskeletal stretching interventions and pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, in adults. Six acute-intervention studies and six longitudinal studies were included. A single stretching bout was associated with a small, nonsignificant PWV reduction (SMD = - 0.22, p = 0.258), while stretching interventions lasting 4- to 12-weeks showed a large, statistically significant reduction (SMD = - 1.02, p = 0.012). Effects were greater when each stretch was repeated three or more times.
Key findings
- Acute stretching produced a small, nonsignificant PWV reduction (SMD = - 0.22, p = 0.258).
- Longitudinal stretching was associated with a large PWV reduction (SMD = - 1.02, p = 0.012).
- Repeating each stretch three or more times was associated with a greater pooled effect than fewer repetitions (SMD contrast = - 1.46, p < 0.001).
- Differences by weekly frequency, session duration, and supervision favored more frequent, longer, or supervised stretching but were not statistically significant.
Why it matters
PWV is an established measure of arterial stiffness, a cardiovascular risk-related outcome. The findings suggest that repeated stretching over several weeks may reduce PWV, whereas a single bout has no statistically significant pooled effect. This provides a rationale for further research on stretching as an accessible exercise intervention, but does not establish that it reduces cardiovascular events or disease risk.
What to keep in mind
The evidence base was small, with six studies each for acute and longitudinal interventions; the abstract does not report cardiovascular events or other clinical outcomes.