For many athletes, amateur and professional alike, the importance of stretching is nothing less than an article of fact. The goal is to reduce the risk of injury or muscle soreness, or to improve performance.

The problem is that all that stretching may not be doing much real good, a new study argues. The report appeared in a recent issue of The British Medical Journal, and was written by Dr. Rob D. Herbert and Michael Gabriel, senior lecturers at the University of Sydney in Australia.

The researchers based their conclusions on a review of seven studies that looked at stretching's role in preventing injuries or muscle soreness. They found that the reduction in soreness reported by athletes who stretched was so minimal that it wasn't worth the effort.

Although they said more research was needed, the authors said it appeared that stretching did little to reduce injuries. They cited two studies of military recruits that found minimal benefits.

"The recreational athlete or weekend warrior might rationally choose, on the basis of this information, to not stretch," Dr. Herbert wrote in an e-mail message.

Likewise, not enough research has been done to establish whether stretching helps athletic performance, the researchers said. But for sports where it is especially important to be flexible, it is probably useful, they said.

Many athletes will probably be reluctant to give up stretching. Dr. Herbert said he quit some years ago.

"It felt strange at first," he said. "Now I don't give it a second thought."