Does Postexercise Static Stretching Alleviate Delayed Muscle Soreness?

In brief: Twenty-three subjects performed a 30-minute step test to induce delayed muscle soreness (DMS) in the eccentrically contracting thigh and calf muscles. A regimen of static stretching performed after the test did not alleviate DMS; there was neither temporary relief of pain immediately after stretching nor a general reduction in pain during the three-day postexercise period. Serum creatine kinase level-a commonly used marker of muscle damage-was elevated after exercise and the strength of the sore thigh muscles was reduced; stretching did not affect these responses. These results contradict claims of the benefits of static stretching for relief of exercise-induced DMS.