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

NCT ID: NCT06877832

Last Updated: 2025-03-14

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 24 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-10-30
• Study Completion Date: 2024-11-30

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Healthy Subjects (HS)

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Static Stretching (SS)

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Static Stretching (SS)

Intervention Type: OTHER

For the SS, participants will be instructed to stand and place their dominant foot on a wedge with a 35° incline, stretching the plantar flexor muscles.

Foam Rolling (FR)

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Foam Rolling (FR)

Intervention Type: OTHER

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) will be performed on the muscle belly while maintaining compression on the muscle.

Foam Rolling with Dynamic Movement (FR-DM)

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.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Foam rolling with dynamic movement (FR-DM)

Intervention Type: OTHER

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.

Control Group (CG)

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

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Static Stretching (SS)

For the SS, participants will be instructed to stand and place their dominant foot on a wedge with a 35° incline, stretching the plantar flexor muscles.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Foam Rolling (FR)

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) will be performed on the muscle belly while maintaining compression on the muscle.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Foam rolling with dynamic movement (FR-DM)

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.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

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

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Ewan Thomas

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Ewan Thomas

Professor

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

University of Palermo

Palermo, PA, Italy

Countries

Italy

Other Identifiers

170/2023

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id