Potential bias. We used a systematic review methodology to remove potential sources of bias as far as possible,
although this procedure does not guarantee the absence of
bias. Analyses such as those performed in the present review
may be influenced by publication bias (100) because studies,
reporting nonsignificant effects of stretch, may have been
less likely to be accepted for publication. However, the potential inclusion of these studies would not have changed
the main conclusion that shorter-duration (e45 s) stretching has no effect on force production. Examination of the
methodological quality of the literature revealed that experimental study design was often poor, where 30% of the
studies reported no control group or reliability analyses.