Effects of Roller Massage and Static Stretching on Thigh Muscles
Ömer Batın Gözübüyük1
, Can A. Yücesoy2
1Sports Medicine Department, İstanbul University, İstanbul, Turkey
2Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Bogaziçi University, İstanbul, Turkey
Keywords: Myofascial release, hamstrings, quadriceps muscle, myofascial force transmission, isometric strength
Abstract
Objective: Self-myofascial release (SMR) and static stretching (SS) are common pre-competition applications, aiming at relaxing muscles and surrounding fasciae. However, assessments of their effects on the targeted agonistic muscles and possible effects on antagonistic muscles are lacking. Based on myofascial force transmission, we hypothesized that effects of SMR and SS are (1) different on agonistic (knee flexors) and (2) non-trivial on the antagonistic (knee extensors) thigh muscles.
Materials and Methods: Twenty-two healthy males (24,05±4,01 years old) were randomly divided into two groups (SS and SMR, n=11 each). The groups were interchanged seven days later (cross-over design). After a stationary bicycle warm-up, isometric strength testing was performed (pre-condition), followed by the SMR or SS procedures consisted of four consequtive applications with 1 minute of durations. After 10 mins, the testing was repeated (post-condition).
Results: SS significantly increased torque increase rate (flexors, 18.4%) and average torque (extensors, 4.9 %). SMR caused significant average torque increase (flexors, 6.6%) and time to peak torque (extensors, 16.7%). The change in agonists torque increase rate over time was significantly different between groups (time*group interaction effect [ANOVA], p<0.05).
Conclusions: SMR affected force production and SS affected the speed of contraction positively for the knee flexors, and SS affected force production positively for the knee extensors. However, SMR has a negative effect on the speed of contraction of the knee extensors. Widespread effects are ascribed to myofascial force transmission. Although both are utilized for same purpose they can not be regarded as interchangeable methods.
Cite this article as: Gozubuyuk OB, Yucesoy CA. Effects of roller massage and static stretching on thigh muscles.Turk J Sports Med. 2019;54(3):183-94
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The authors would like to thank Prof. Bulent Bayraktar for his guidance and mentorship, Bernard Tahirbegolli for his extensive help in statistical analyses, Ebru Kaya Mutlu for her helps in volunteers and Turker Sahinkaya for conducting the tests.
