The Effects of Foam Rolling on Ankle Dorsiflexion, Ankle Stability, and Athletic Performance in Rhythmic Gymnasts

The Effects of Foam Rolling During the Warm-Up Phase on Range of Motion, Ankle Stability and Leaping Performance in Young Elite Rhythmic Gymnasts

Rhythmic Gymnastics is an Olympic discipline featuring individual or team competition. Regardless of the type of competition, athletes undergo rigorous training focused on enhancing their coordination, joint range of motion, and jump height. Each rhythmic gymnast voluntarily underwent testing at their own gym after reading and signing the informed consent document. During the first session, general information was collected on all participants (age, weight, and height), followed by an assessment of athletic performance and joint mobility parameters. For the jump performance parameters, the Counter Movement Jump test (CMJ) was used through an optical detecting system. An inertial sensor was used to measure joint mobility, while a pressure platform was used to measure ankle stability, using a single-leg jump protocol. Subsequently, participants were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CG). The EG performed three sets, each lasting 60 seconds, with a 30-second break between sets for two times for week for 3 weeks. During each FR session, a complete sequential movement was always performed, starting from the gastrocnemius muscles and ending with the soleus muscle. At the end of the three weeks, all measurements were repeated.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Athletes
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Foam Rolling (FR)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 26
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Italy
  • Palermo, Italy, 90144
    • University of Palermo

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Active participation in competitive training programs (at least 10 hours per week), at least one year of experience in competitions organized by the Italian Gymnastics Federation, and no recent injuries.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of current or not fully recovered injuries to the ankle or foot, and irregular participation in training sessions within the four weeks preceding the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control Group (CG)
Experimental: Experimental: Foam Rolling (FR); Three sets, each lasting 60 seconds, with a 30-second break between sets for two times for week. During each FR session, a complete sequential movement was always performed, starting from the gastrocnemius muscles and ending with the soleus. A metronome was set to play one complete repetition every 2 seconds to establish the speed of execution.	Other: Foam Rolling (FR); For the FR, participants were asked to place the roller behind their leg. Three sets, each lasting 60 seconds, with a 30-second break between sets, were performed, for a total of 90 rolls per set.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Counter Movement Jump (CMJ)	Initially, the athlete stands upright on a flat surface or force platform, feet shoulder-width apart, hands on hips (to eliminate arm swing). Without a pause, the athlete performs a quick downward movement (countermovement) by bending the knees and hips, then immediately jumps vertically as high as possible. The athlete lands in an upright position on the same spot, trying to absorb the impact with knees slightly bent. Jump height and flight time is recorded using an optical system, Optojump™ system(Microgate, Bolzano, Italy) connected to a personal computer with dedicated software(OptojumpTM Next software). The system consists of two optical bars, a receiver and a transmitter, positioned 1m apart. The bars identify ground contact time(with a precision of 1ms) and then convert non-contact time into cm. Based on recommendations on optimal jump height (20 to 60cm).	At the beginning of enrollment ( Baseline, T0) and the end of the 3-week treatment (T1)
Ankle Dorsiflexion ROM	Each participant was fitted with an inertial sensor (Beyond Inertial, Motusech, Roma, Itay) in the center of the foot, using an elastic band supplied with the sensor. The starting position was standardized with the subjects sitting on a medical bed with the popliteal cord attached to the edge of the bed, forming a 90° angle. The position of the foot, on the other hand, was placed in a neutral position using a laser level. Subsequently, the dorsal flexion movement was performed.	At the beginning of enrollment ( Baseline, T0) and the end of the 3-week treatment (T1)
Ankle Stability	Ankle stability was assessed using a functional monopodalic protocol, which involved four jumps on one foot: two per leg, both frontally and laterally. These jumps were performed by stepping over an adjustable obstacle set at 70% of the maximum height reached on a pressure platform (SensorMedica freeMed 40×40, Guidonia Montecelio, Italy). The platform has an active sensory surface of 40×40 cm with a thickness of only 8 mm and a low weight of approximately 4 kg. Inside, there are resistive sensors coated in 24K gold on conductive rubber, with a density of approximately 10,000 sensors/m².The acquisition frequency is high, up to 400 Hz, allowing for detailed dynamic analysis, and the sensors have a life cycle of over 1,000,000 cycles of use	At the beginning of enrollment ( Baseline, T0) and the end of the 3-week treatment (T1)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Palermo

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 2, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 2, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): August 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 12, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Injury Prevention; Performance; Rhythmic Gymnasts
• Other Study ID Numbers: 62141-2025-1

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No