Inter-set stretch: A potential time-efficient strategy for enhancing skeletal muscle adaptations
Schoenfeld BJ, Wackerhage H, De Souza EO
Evidence is still limited and needs further study
Summary
A narrative review summarizing a distinct rest-period strategy from no-load flexing: adding active or passive stretch of the target muscle during inter-set rest. Animal studies suggest passive stretch can activate mTORC1-dependent muscle protein synthesis pathways, and a small number of ~8-week human trials, mostly in untrained young men, report slightly greater muscle thickness gains with inter-set stretching. However, the authors themselves characterize the current evidence as 'preliminary,' and questions remain about optimal stretch intensity, hold duration, and how findings generalize across age, sex, and training status.
Key findings
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Animal models suggest passive stretch can activate mTORC1-dependent muscle protein synthesis pathways
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A small number of ~8-week human RCTs, mostly in untrained young men, report slightly greater muscle thickness gains with inter-set stretching (e.g., Evangelista et al.)
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The authors themselves describe the current evidence as 'preliminary'; optimal stretch intensity, hold duration, and generalization across populations remain unresolved
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A follow-up loaded inter-set stretch RCT (Van Every et al. 2022, PLoS One, DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0273451) found only a slight benefit in the soleus with no clear effect in the gastrocnemius — results vary by muscle
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