Effectiveness of a Foam Roller Warm-Up in Professional Basketball Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial
# Background The foam roller is considered a versatile tool. Along with an active warm-up, it appears to positively affect range of motion, stability, muscle stiffness, and perceived exertion with no reductions in performance. # Hypothesis/Purpose The main purpose of the study was to observe th...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
North American Sports Medicine Institute
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.127266 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | # Background
The foam roller is considered a versatile tool. Along with an active warm-up, it appears to positively affect range of motion, stability, muscle stiffness, and perceived exertion with no reductions in performance.
# Hypothesis/Purpose
The main purpose of the study was to observe the effects of the utilization of a foam roller during the warm-up on ankle mobility and lower limb stability, and secondarily, to assess if any induced effects were sustained over time.
# Study design
Randomized controlled trial.
# Methods
Twenty-two healthy male subjects were randomly assigned to two groups: the control group, which only carried out a general warm-up over a period of four months, and the foam roller group, which followed a specific warm-up routine using a foam roller for a period of three months plus one month of follow-up in which no foam rolling was performed. Two outcome measurements were taken pre- and post- intervention to assess ankle mobility: the Dorsi-Flexion Lunge test and the Y-Balance test (YBT) for the lower quarter. Outcomes were measured at three time points: before the protocol was initiated, at the end of the protocol (at 12 weeks), and after a one-month follow-up period (at 16 weeks).
# Results
A significant increase was observed in the dorsiflexion of the right (p < 0.001) and left (p < 0.001) ankles in the experimental group. Significant increases were also noticed in the anterior (p < 0.003), posteromedial (p < 0.050), and posterolateral (p < 0.050) reach distances of the right leg and in the anterior (p < 0.002), posteromedial (p < 0.010), and posterolateral (p < 0.030) reach distances of the left leg during the YBT in the experimental group. The control group also showed significant differences in the right (p < 0.007) and left (p < 0.010) anterior reach distances on the YBT. At the one-month follow-up period, the improvements that had been obtained in both groups were lost, except for the dorsiflexion of the right ankle (p < 0.050) and right (p < 0.010) and left (p < 0.030) anterior reach distance on the YBT in the experimental group.
# Conclusions
The foam roller can be used as a part of a pre-training warm-up routine to enhance the dorsiflexion range of motion and performance on the YBT.
# Level of Evidence
3\. Registered as a clinical trial at ClinicalTrials.gov with registration number: NCT05971316. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2159-2896 |