Acute Effects of Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization in Football Players

January 22, 2025 updated by: METEHAN YANA, Karabuk University

Acute Effects of Instrument-assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization on the Flexibility, Strength, Vertical Jump, and Dynamic Balance Performances of the Plantar Flexor Muscle in Professional Football Players.

For professional footboll players, the balance, jumping, and performance capabilities of the plantar flexor muscle group are crucial on the field. Performance-enhancing interventions for these muscles are essential for improving player performance, preventing injuries, and accelerating the rehabilitation process. limitations and myofascial problems often occur in these muscles due to overuse and fatigue. Graston technique (GT), one of the instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization techniques (IASTM), is thought to be an effective method in sports rehabilitation by accelerating relaxation and blood flow. However, this situation has not been adequately examined in the literature. Therefore, we think that the results of this study will provide an important perspective to the literature.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The plantar flexors (PF) and the ankle joint are of great importance as they play an essential role in generating force on the ground. The ankle PF is the primary structure where energy is stored and released during movement and is the primary source of forward propulsion. This constitutes an important source of power for soccer players. Ankle flexibility is linked to dynamic balance capacity, which influences important elements such as speed, kick accuracy, ball control and agility. Muscle tension, myofascia and reduced range of motion (ROM) are frequently observed in team sports such as soccer, which increases the frequency of muscle injuries. Studies have shown that movement efficiency is reduced when movement is restricted in both the lower and upper limbs. Therefore, preservation and restoration of ROM is important to minimize injuries and improve performance, and myofascial release is often used in this context. Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization-Graston Technique (IASTM-GT) entails repetitive mechanical stimulation, including compression and shear stress applied to soft tissues such as muscles, deep fascia and tendons. It facilitates the healing process by creating microtrauma, disrupting collagen connections, increasing blood circulation and promoting cellular regeneration.Numerous studies have extensively investigated the flexibility effect of Graston Technique (GT) on athletes, particularly by improving ROM and accelerating the recovery process in key muscle groups such as the thighs, quadriceps and plantar flexors (PF). However, the evidence is not clear on how GT specifically affects the function of the PF muscle and its implications on the performance and health of football players. The effectiveness of facial mobilization in football players may be important for improving athlete performance and injury prevention. The results of this study may guide healthcare professionals by providing information about the effectiveness of these non-invasive techniques in athlete performance, treatment and rehabilitation process in clinical practice. In this context, the aim of this study was to investigate the acute effect of fascial release applied to the PF muscles on ROM, jumping ability and muscle strength.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

40

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey
      • Karabük, Turkey, 78000
        • Karabuk University
    • Karabuk
      • Karabük, Karabuk, Turkey, 78050
        • Karabuk University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Healthy professional male football players

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Having a medical history of chronic disease (cardiopulmonary, neurological, thyroid gland diseases)
  • Having acute musculoskeletal system problems
  • No disability or surgical intervention in the lower extremity in the last year.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Treatment Group
In the study, the Graston device will be applied to the plantar flexor muscles of the patients. The medial and lateral gastarosoleus muscles and tendon will be applied deeply for 3 minutes, and the soleus muscle will be applied deeply for 90 seconds.
Other: Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization
In the study, the Graston device will be applied to the plantar flexor muscles of the patients. The medial and lateral gastarosoleus muscles and tendon will be applied deeply for 3 minutes, and the soleus muscle will be applied deeply for 90 seconds.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Range of motion
Time Frame: baseline, immediately after the intervention
Dorsiflexion Reng Of Motion tests were conducted using a handheld manual goniometer.
baseline, immediately after the intervention
Muscle strength
Time Frame: baseline, immediately after the intervention
The handheld dynamometer (Model: Activ5-M\ Activforce2) was used to measure isometric strength in the Plantar flexors of ankle.
baseline, immediately after the intervention
Balance
Time Frame: baseline, immediately after the intervention
The Y Balance Test (YBT) was employed for evaluating dynamic balance across three reach directions: anterior (ANT), posteromedial (PM), and posterolateral (PL)
baseline, immediately after the intervention
Jump Performance
Time Frame: baseline, immediately after the intervention
My Jump 2, a mobile app designed for vertical jump performance, high-speed video capture
baseline, immediately after the intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Karabuk University

Collaborators

The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Metehan Yana, PhD, Karabuk University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

December 5, 2023

Primary Completion (Actual)

March 10, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

March 10, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 13, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2025

Last Verified

January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Sport health

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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