Hamstring flexibility unaffected by more static stretching

PainSci » bibliography » Bandy et al 1997
updated Jan 29, 2020

Tags: knee, stretch, treatment, running, flexibility, study_trial, study_rct, anatomy, leg, limbs, thigh, exercise, self-treatment, muscle, sports

One page on PainSci cites Bandy 1997: The Complete Guide to Low Back Pain

PainSci commentary on Bandy 1997: ?This page is one of thousands in the PainScience.com bibliography. It is not a general article: it is focused on a single scientific paper, and it may provide only just enough context for the summary to make sense. Links to other papers and more general information are provided wherever possible.

This study checked for an effect of static stretching frequency and duration on hamstring flexibility, which was measured by testing the range of motion of knee extension. The results suggest that there is nothing gained by stretching longer than 30 seconds, or doing it more than 2-3 times a day, but stretching did help ROM. ROM did not improve in the control group, which did no stretching at all.

~ Paul Ingraham

original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Frequency and duration of static stretching have not been extensively examined. Additionally, the effect of multiple stretches per day has not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal time and frequency of static stretching to increase flexibility of the hamstring muscles, as measured by knee extension range of motion (ROM).

SUBJECTS: Ninety-three subjects (61 men, 32 women) ranging in age from 21 to 39 years and who had limited hamstring muscle flexibility were randomly assigned to one of five groups. The four stretching groups stretched 5 days per week for 6 weeks. The fifth group, which served as a control, did not stretch.

METHODS: Data were analyzed with a 5 x 2 (group x test) two-way analysis of variance for repeated measures on one variable (test).

RESULTS: The change in flexibility appeared to be dependent on the duration and frequency of stretching. Further statistical analysis of the data indicated that the groups that stretched had more ROM than did the control group, but no differences were found among the stretching groups.

CONCLUSION AND DISCUSSION: The results of this study suggest that a 30-second duration is an effective amount of time to sustain a hamstring muscle stretch in order to increase ROM. No increase in flexibility occurred when the duration of stretching was increased from 30 to 60 seconds or when the frequency of stretching was increased from one to three times per day.

original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.

related content