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RISK / BOUNDARY

Musculoskeletal Stretching and Arterial Stiffness: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Acute and Longitudinal Interventions.

Musculoskeletal stretching, a low-skill and accessible exercise, may help lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by reducing arterial stiffness (AS). The most well-established measure of AS is pulse wave velocity (PWV). To determine (1) the effects of acute and longitudinal musculoskeletal stretching interventions on PWV in adults; and (2) whether the pooled effect is moderated by stretching prescription (i.e., frequency, intensity, time, and type [FITT]), study design (e.g., supervision), study quality and risk of bias, and study outcome (e.g., specific PWV segment). Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched from 1974 to 2025, using the search terms: stretching AND (arterial stiffness OR pulse wave velocity OR PWV OR vascular stiffness). The reference lists of relevant studies and previous reviews were also screened. The eligibility criteria included (1) adults aged 18 years or older; (2) randomized controlled, nonrandomized controlled, or crossover; (3) PWV outcome(s) measured; (4) published in English; (5) published since 1974; and (6) published in peer-reviewed journals. Initially, 242 studies were identified. After screening, six studies on acute stretching and six studies on longitudinal stretching were included. Effect sizes were calculated as standardized mean differences (SMD). Data were pooled using a 3-level model with restricted maximum likelihood estimation, and the magnitude of the effect was adjudicated as trivial (< 0.2), small (0.2), moderate (0.5), or large (0.8). Acute stretching led to a small, nonsignificant reduction (beneficial) in PWV (SMD = - 0.22, p = 0.258), whereas longitudinal stretching resulted in a large and statistically significant reduction in PWV (SMD = - 1.02, p = 0.012). The pooled effect size was significantly greater (more beneficial) when each stretch was repeated three or more times (versus less than three times, SMD contrast = - 1.46, p < 0.001). Larger (beneficial) pooled effect sizes were also observed when stretching was prescribed for 5-7 days/week (versus 3-4 days/week, SMD contrast = - 1.05, p = 0.149), when stretching sessions lasted at least 30 min (versus less than 30 min, SMD contrast = - 0.79, p = 0.169), and when sessions were supervised (versus unsupervised, SMD contrast = - 1.11, p = 0.130); however, these differences did not reach statistical significance. A single bout of stretching resulted in a small acute decrease in PWV (SMD = - 0.22, 95% CI - 0.62 to 0.17). There was a large decrease in PWV (SMD = - 1.02, 95% CI - 1.79 to - 0.25) following a 4- to 12-week intervention. We recommend stretching each major muscle-tendon group three or more times. These findings may be used to help design a future intervention to test the efficacy and biological plausibility of stretching exercises to reduce arterial stiffness and possibly CVD risk.

Evidence boundary: 纳入研究数量有限，处方亚组比较多未达显著；不能由此替代心血管风险管理建议。

Source: PMID:42502132

WEEKEND OBSERVATION

Ultrasound evaluation of joint and bursal fluid changes after a 5-km run in healthy adults.

Observation and source date: 2026-07-26. This issue uses PubMed Date-Publication records; the same-day arXiv submitted-date window returned no relevant records.

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Musculoskeletal ultrasound is widely used to assess joint and bursal effusions, yet the impact of moderate-distance running on fluid accumulation in asymptomatic individuals remains unclear. Previous studies have shown mixed results depending on exercise type and timing, highlighting a gap in understanding transient physiological responses to common physical activity such as running. To determine whether a 5-km run induces detectable changes in fluid presence within selected joints and bursae in healthy adults, as assessed with musculoskeletal ultrasound. Prospective observational trial. Institutional setting at a university hospital. Thirty healthy adults (17 female, 13 male; ages 20-47 years) without musculoskeletal symptoms or recent injuries were recruited. All participants completed the study. Not applicable. Binary (yes/no) presence of fluid in the tendon sheath of the long head of the biceps brachii, deep infrapatellar bursa, retrocalcaneal bursa, and talocrural joint were assessed bilaterally with ultrasound at baseline, immediately post run, and 24 hours post run. Significant increases in fluid were observed 24 hours post-run in the retrocalcaneal bursa (left: p < .001, g = 0.46; right: p < .001, g = 0.40) and talocrural joint (left: p = .001, g = 0.36; right: p = .002, g = 0.33). long head of the biceps brachii showed transient changes (left: p = .002 next day). No significant changes were found in the deep infrapatellar bursa (all p > .05). A short 5-km run can produce delayed increases in fluid at the ankle region, with the largest changes observed at 24 hours. Clinicians should account for recent physical activity when performing and interpreting ultrasound findings, as exercise may increase the prevalence of detectable fluid at certain sites. However, as the final assessment was performed at 24 hours, the full time course of these changes remains to be determined.

Evidence boundary: 这是小型观察研究，提示超声解释需记录近期运动，不可用于给个人作伤病诊断。

Source: PMID:42503241

Observation

2026-07-26

Asia/Shanghai · Sunday

Retrieved

PubMed Date-Publication

Selected

primary-source and boundary screen

Same-day arXiv

no older batch relabelled

METHOD / NEXT

Effects of Tai Chi on core motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease: A three-armed randomized controlled trial.

Given the growing role of non-pharmacological rehabilitation in Parkinson's disease and the limited comparative evidence between different exercise modalities, this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of Tai Chi and combined resistance-stretching exercise on motor symptoms, physical function, and quality of life (QOL) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). A three-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted in patients with PD at Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stages 2-3. The motor symptoms of patients with PD were assessed using the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Part III (UPDRS-III), Freezing of Gait Questionnaire (FOGQ), Timed Up and Go, Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire-39 (PDQ-39), while muscle fitness was evaluated using the functional reach, 30 s arm curl, 30 s chair stand, and grip strength tests before and after a 14 - week intervention. Both exercise groups showed statistically significant and potentially clinically meaningful improvements in total UPDRS-III scores, with varying degrees of change observed across different dimension scores. Tai Chi was particularly effective in enhancing muscular endurance, motor control, and balance, contributing to improved overall QOL. The combined resistance-stretching group showed more significant improvements in muscular strength, functional fitness, also resulting in improved QOL. No significant differences in FOGQ score were observed between the two exercise groups. Both Tai Chi and combined resistance-stretching exercises are effective non-pharmacological interventions for improving core motor symptoms, physical function and QOL in patients with early to mid-stage Parkinson's disease, with Tai Chi particularly benefiting muscular endurance, motor control and balance ability.

Evidence boundary: 摘要未提供全部效应量与样本细节，不能据此断言任一运动方式对所有患者更优。

Source: PMID:42082156

Ultrasound evaluation of joint and bursal fluid changes after a 5-km run in healthy adults.

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