Does stretching before sports help or hurt?
To stretch or not to stretch: the role of stretching in injury prevention and performance
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Stretching right before sports can make muscles weaker for a short time. It doesn’t help much in preventing most injuries, but might help stop muscle strains a little bit.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Stretching right before sports can make muscles weaker for a short time. It doesn’t help much in preventing most injuries, but might help stop muscle strains a little bit.
No biological mechanisms were identified in this study. This may be an epidemiological, observational, or survey-based study that reports associations rather than proposing causal biological pathways.
Systematic Reviews & Meta-Analyses
Max 100Randomized Controlled Trials
Max 90Cohort Studies
Max 72Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional Studies
Max 44Case Reports & Case Series
Max 30Expert Opinion & Narrative Reviews
Max 51 / 5
Evidence Score
Based on clinical experience or non-systematic literature reviews. The lowest level of evidence as they are most susceptible to bias and personal perspective.
Publication
Authors
McHugh MP, Cosgrave CH
Related Content
Claims (3)
Stretching right before sports or workouts might make your muscles weaker for a short time, especially when it comes to strength.
Stretching before you work out probably doesn't help prevent long-term injuries from repetitive motion, like runner's knee or tennis elbow.
Stretching before sports might help prevent muscle strains in athletes, but we’re not totally sure yet because the research isn’t clear or strong enough.