Effects of static stretching and specific warm-up on the repetition performance in upper- and lower-limb exercises in resistance-trained older women

2025

Effects of Stretching and Warm-Up on Exercise Performance in Older Women

Sample size: 57 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Lisboa Felipe, Kassiano Witalo, Stavinski Natã, Costa Bruna, Kunevaliki Gabriel, Francsuel Jarlisson, Tricoli Ian, Prado Aline, Cyrino Leticia T., A. S. Carneiro Marcelo, Lima Luis, Castro-e-Souza Pâmela, Cavalcante Edilaine F., Achour Jr. Abdallah, Cyrino Edilson S.

Primary Institution: Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Physical Education and Sport Center, State University of Londrina, Brazil

Hypothesis

We hypothesized that SW and SS improve performance in total numbers of repetitions compared to a control condition (CC) due to favorable physiological modifications.

Conclusion

Static stretching may improve performance in lower-limb exercises, while specific warm-up appears to negatively affect performance in upper-limb exercises in resistance-trained older women.

Supporting Evidence

Static stretching improved performance in leg extension and seated leg curl exercises.
Specific warm-up impaired performance in triceps pushdown and preacher curl exercises.
Participants performed resistance training sessions at the same time of day to minimize circadian effects.

Takeaway

Doing stretches before exercising can help older women do better in leg exercises, but warming up might make it harder for them to do upper body exercises.

Methodology

The study compared the effects of specific warm-up, static stretching, and a control condition on the total number of repetitions in four resistance exercises using a cross-over design.