30-seconds of static stretching elicited greater moderate magnitude ROM improvements in the stretched limb compared to control, but failed to produce any significant effects on the contralateral leg and shoulder, while all conditions including control experienced MVIC force decreases.
Static stretching produced significant moderate magnitude ROM improvements in the stretched limb compared to control.
Static stretching showed non-significant ROM gains in the contralateral (non-stretched) leg, suggesting possible crossover effects in some individuals.
No stretching intervention produced significant ROM improvements in the non-local shoulder.
All conditions, including the no-stretch control, experienced significant decreases in maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) force of the stretched limb.
No significant differences in pain pressure thresholds (PPT) were found across any stretching condition.
Sex-based differences were observed, with women demonstrating greater ROM and men exhibiting greater force, EMG activity, and fatigue indices.
This research suggests that a single 30-second bout of static stretching can meaningfully improve flexibility in the muscle being stretched, producing about an 8% increase in range of motion compared to doing nothing. However, the same stretching did not significantly improve flexibility in the opposite (unstretched) leg or in a distant body part like the shoulder, suggesting that the 'crossover' or 'remote' flexibility benefits sometimes reported in the literature may not reliably occur from such a short stretching duration. There was a hint that some individuals might experience crossover effects in the contralateral leg, but this did not reach statistical significance at the group level. A notable finding was that strength (measured as maximum force output) declined after the stretching period — but this also happened in the control condition where no stretching was performed. This suggests the strength decrease may be partly explained by factors like fatigue from repeated testing rather than stretching alone. Pain sensitivity was not significantly changed by any type of stretching. The study also found that women tended to be more flexible while men produced more force and showed greater muscle electrical activity. This research suggests that while 30 seconds of static stretching is enough to improve local flexibility, it may not be sufficient to produce widespread flexibility benefits across the body or to reduce pain sensitivity. Those hoping to improve flexibility in multiple areas of the body may need to stretch each area individually, and athletes concerned about strength should be aware that even brief stretching sessions may coincide with temporary reductions in force production.
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Upload Your LabsParsons H, Behm D. (2026). The effects of dynamic, static, and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching on local & non-local range of motion and pain onset.. PloS one. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0358885