Study note • PMID 21904241
Time course of the effects of static stretching on cycling economy.
How to use this page
This note summarizes one study record. Check the participants, methods, results, and limitations before applying it to training.
- • Design signal: controlled study.
- • Population relevance: athlete/trained context.
- • Consistency: single-study evidence.
- • Practical recommendation depends on tolerance, context, and whether it protects training consistency.
ELI5
In plain language
Stretching has been implemented as part of the warm-up before physical events and widely thought to promote increased sport performance and decreased injury risk. (controlled study; trained cyclists).
Effects on Injury risk are mixed or unclear from the abstract alone. Treat this as a signal, not a guarantee; confirm methods and context in the full paper.
Takeaways
What the abstract suggests
- • Study question: Stretching has been implemented as part of the warm-up before physical events and widely thought to promote increased sport performance and decreased injury risk.
- • Effects on Injury risk are mixed or unclear from the abstract alone.
- • Population: trained cyclists.
- • Protocol cues (title/abstract): 16 minutes.
Protocol
Protocol (as reported)
- • Intervention/exposure: stretch, stretching.
- • Dose/time/duration cues in abstract/title: 16 minutes.
- • Outcomes: Injury risk.
- • Replication note: abstracts often omit adherence and timing; confirm details before changing training or supplementation.
Fit
Who it may help, and who should be cautious
Who it helps
- • Athletes similar to the study population (trained cyclists) working on mobility.
- • Athletes who can measure Injury risk with a repeatable workout or time-trial effort.
Who should be cautious
- • If you have symptoms or conditions that make the intervention risky, get professional guidance.
- • If you’re near race day and can’t safely test, defer the experiment.
Methods
What the study actually did
- • Design: controlled study.
- • Population: trained cyclists.
- • Outcomes measured: Injury risk.
- • Protocol cues mentioned: 16 minutes.
- • Source: PubMed PMID 21904241 (2011) — Journal of strength and conditioning research.
Results excerpt
What the abstract reports
“The first of 3 visits was baseline testing of their cycling VO2max.”
Note: excerpts are short; for full context, read the paper.
Limits
Limitations and bias
- • Abstract-only summaries can miss critical details (population, protocol, adherence, and context).
- • Single studies often don’t generalize to your event, history, and training load; treat results as a starting point.
- • If your context differs (elite vs recreational; cycling vs running), adjust expectations and be conservative.
- • This is performance information, not medical advice.
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