Acute Effects of Foam Rolling and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching During Warm-Up on Muscle Flexibility, Strength and Pain Threshold in Amateur Athletes

What this Trial Is About

This research aims to study the immediate effects of foam rolling and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on muscle flexibility, strength, and pain threshold in amateur athletes. The hamstring muscle plays an important role in rehabilitation and sports activities by helping restore proper muscle length. Reduced hamstring flexibility can affect the waist and pelvis biomechanics, potentially causing low back pain or musculoskeletal issues. The study addresses gaps in current knowledge by comparing foam rolling and PNF stretching as warm-up exercises. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two training programs: foam rolling or PNF stretching. The foam rolling group will perform 5 minutes of light aerobic cycling followed by 2 minutes of foam rolling on the dominant leg. The PNF stretching group will also do 5 minutes of cycling and then 2 minutes of PNF stretching exercises on the dominant leg. These interventions aim to measure differences in muscle flexibility, strength, and pain threshold immediately after warm-up. During the study, hamstring flexibility, muscle strength, and pain threshold will be evaluated before and immediately after the intervention. Additional assessments include lower extremity muscle strength. The trial includes adults aged 18 to 30 who are amateur athletes. The study uses a randomized, double-blind design to compare the effects of these two warm-up techniques on muscle performance and pain sensitivity.

Acute Effects of Foam Rolling and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching