NCT06877832

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

Determinants of Acute Effects of Stretching Vs. Foam Rolling: Morphological, Sensory and Fluid Responses

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 24 (actual)
• Sponsor: Ewan Thomas · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

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)

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	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.
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.
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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-10-30
• Primary completion: 2024-05-30
• Completion: 2024-11-30
• First posted: 2025-03-14
• Last updated: 2025-03-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Italy