Effects of Foam Rolling, Foam Rolling with Dynamic Movement, and Static Stretching on Plantar Flexor Range of Motion and Tissue Properties in Healthy Participants

Ewan Thomas

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy Subjects (HS)

Treatments: Other: Foam rolling with dynamic movement (FR-DM); Other: Static Stretching (SS); Other: Foam Rolling (FR)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06877832

170/2023

Details and patient eligibility

About

Each voluntary participant will be invited and tested at the Functional Assessment Laboratory. After reading and completing the informed consent document regarding our research and data processing, participants will be invited for four separate sessions at the laboratory. During the first session, essential personal information (name, surname, sex, age) will be recorded. Immediately after measuring the participant's height using a stadiometer and weight using a scale, several tests will be conducted to assess pain thresholds and tissue density using specific dynamometers, joint mobility levels of the participants (Passive Muscle Mobility Test and a test using the accelerometer), and a Bioimpedance Analysis to assess body fluids. After a 15-minute rest period, the tests will be repeated to obtain an initial baseline control assessment. The subsequent sessions will involve the same evaluations, which will be conducted before, immediately after, and 15 minutes after the proposed intervention. The proposed interventions will be randomized across the sessions and will alternatively include: a brief session of static stretching on the leg muscles (4 sets of 30 seconds with 15 seconds of rest between sets), a session of static foam rolling (4 sets of 30 seconds with 15 seconds of rest between sets) on the same muscle groups, where pressure is applied to the muscle through the participant's body weight on a foam roller while performing muscle contractions, or dynamic foam rolling, during which the muscle will be rolled over the foam roller.

Enrollment: 24 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Healthy participants, adult participants, active, agreeing to sign the consent form

Exclusion criteria

Participants with neuromuscular, orthopedic and gynecological disease (or taking oral contraceptives) or those having injuries of the lower extremities were excluded from the investigation. Female participants were allowed to participate to the experiments only during the follicular phase of their menstrual cycle and always before ovulation

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Crossover Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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24 participants in 4 patient groups

Static Stretching (SS)

Experimental group

Description:

For the SS, participants will be instructed to stand and place their dominant foot on a wedge with a 35° incline. They will stretch the plantar flexor muscles for 30 seconds, performing 4 repetitions.

Treatment:

Other: Static Stretching (SS)

Foam Rolling (FR)

Experimental group

Description:

For the FR, participants will be instructed to position the muscle belly of the PF on the roller. Thirty rolls (15 proximal and 15 distal) for a duration of 30 seconds will be considered one set.

Treatment:

Other: Foam Rolling (FR)

Foam Rolling with Dynamic Movement (FR-DM)

Experimental group

Description:

The FR-DM will involve positioning the muscle belly of the PF on the roller and, without moving the roller, performing 15 plantar flexions and 15 dorsiflexions of the ankle for a period of 30 seconds while compressing the dominant leg with the contralateral leg.

Treatment:

Other: Foam rolling with dynamic movement (FR-DM)

Control Group (CG)

No Intervention group

Description:

The CG will only perform the assessment tests, remaining seated for 4 minutes between the pre-test and post-test.