The biomechanical impact of static or dynamic stretching on balancing ability: A systematic review and meta-analysis

This study aims to evaluate the biomechanical effects of static stretching (SS) and dynamic stretching (DS) on balance abilities through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Following the PRISMA and PERSIST guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted in July 2024 across PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, Embase, and EBSCO databases for randomized controlled trials assessing the influence of SS and DS on balance abilities in healthy adult populations. A total of twelve studies involving 308 participants were included in this analysis. The primary meta-analysis revealed that static stretching (SS) significantly impaired static balance abilities compared to dynamic stretching (DS), with an effect size of -0.05. Additionally, regression analysis identified stretching duration as a significant source of heterogeneity in static balance, highlighting considerable biomechanical variation. No significant changes were observed for center of pressure (COP) or dynamic balance. Bubble charts illustrated that as stretching duration increased, the effect size on static balance decreased, with multiple effect sizes clustering around the 20 s-200 s duration. Overall, dynamic stretching (DS) is superior to static stretching (SS) in enhancing balance abilities among healthy populations, particularly regarding static balance. Regression analysis indicated that stretching duration is a critical biomechanical factor influencing static balance, with optimal effects observed within the range of 20s to 200s.