Acute Changes in Gastrocnemius Muscle Stiffness
Acute Changes in Gastrocnemius Muscle Stiffness Following Different Work-Rest Calf-Raise Protocols and Percussive Therapy: A Randomized Crossover Experimental Study
This study evaluated how different exercise and rest schedules during calf-raise exercise affected the stiffness of the calf muscle in trained volleyball athletes. It also examined how muscle stiffness changed during a five-minute recovery period in which percussive therapy was applied.
Thirty volleyball athletes, including 15 women and 15 men, completed three exercise sessions in a randomized order. During each session, participants performed repeated calf raises for a total period of five minutes using one of three work-to-rest schedules: 30 seconds of exercise followed by 30 seconds of rest, 15 seconds of exercise followed by 45 seconds of rest, or 45 seconds of exercise followed by 15 seconds of rest.
The stiffness of the medial gastrocnemius, one of the main calf muscles, was measured using shear-wave elastography. Measurements were taken before exercise, immediately after exercise, and after the five-minute percussive therapy recovery period.
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This randomized, three-period crossover study examined the acute effects of different work-to-rest configurations during a standardized bilateral calf-raise exercise on medial gastrocnemius stiffness in trained volleyball athletes.
Thirty participants, comprising 15 women and 15 men, completed three experimental sessions in a computer-generated randomized order. Sessions were separated by at least 48 hours and were conducted at approximately the same time of day for each participant to reduce the effects of fatigue, carryover, and daily variation. Before data collection, participants completed a familiarization session.
Each experimental session lasted five minutes and included one of the following work-to-rest configurations:
30 seconds of calf raises followed by 30 seconds of rest; 15 seconds of calf raises followed by 45 seconds of rest; or 45 seconds of calf raises followed by 15 seconds of rest.
The exercise cadence was standardized at one repetition per second using a metronome. Participants performed the calf raises barefoot, with their feet approximately shoulder-width apart and their hands placed on their hips. The total session duration was the same for all conditions, while the amount and distribution of exercise and rest differed between protocols.
Medial gastrocnemius stiffness was assessed bilaterally using shear-wave elastography. Measurements were obtained before exercise, immediately after completion of the calf-raise protocol, and after a standardized five-minute recovery period involving percussive therapy. Three elastography acquisitions were recorded for each leg at each assessment and were averaged for analysis.
Percussive therapy was applied to both medial gastrocnemius muscles using a Theragun PRO device with a spherical attachment at approximately 1,750 percussions per minute. Each leg received two 60-second applications separated by 30 seconds of rest. The same experienced researcher administered the intervention and performed the measurements during all sessions.
The primary analysis evaluated changes in shear-wave velocity across the three measurement times and compared those changes among the three exercise protocols. Limb side and participant sex were also examined as exploratory factors.
The primary hypothesis was that the protocol containing 45 seconds of exercise and 15 seconds of rest would produce the greatest immediate increase in gastrocnemius stiffness because it had the highest work density. A secondary objective was to examine whether stiffness decreased toward baseline during the subsequent percussive therapy recovery period.
No sham percussive therapy or passive recovery condition was included. Therefore, changes between the immediate post-exercise and final assessments were interpreted as recovery occurring during the percussive therapy period and not as definitive evidence of an isolated treatment effect
Tipo de estudo
Inscrição (Real)
Estágio
- Não aplicável
Contactos e Locais
Locais de estudo
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Malatya, Turquia (Türkiye), 44280
- Inonu University
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Critérios de participação
Critérios de elegibilidade
Idades elegíveis para estudo
- Adulto
Aceita Voluntários Saudáveis
Descrição
Inclusion Criteria:
- Male or female volleyball athlete aged 18 to 30 years.
- Competing at university or club level.
- At least 3 years of structured volleyball training experience.
- Participating in volleyball training at least 3 times per week.
- Body mass index between 18.5 and 27.0 kg/m².
- No lower-limb musculoskeletal injury during the previous 6 months.
- No known neuromuscular or systemic disorder.
- No use of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, or muscle-relaxant medication during the week before testing.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Failure to attend or complete any of the three experimental sessions.
- Performance of vigorous exercise within 24 hours before a testing session.
- Occurrence of an adverse event that prevented adherence to or completion of the study protocol.
Plano de estudo
Como o estudo é projetado?
Detalhes do projeto
- Finalidade Principal: Ciência básica
- Alocação: Randomizado
- Modelo Intervencional: Atribuição cruzada
- Mascaramento: Solteiro
Armas e Intervenções
Grupo de Participantes / Braço |
Intervenção / Tratamento |
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Experimental: 30-Second Work / 30-Second Rest Protocol
Participants performed bilateral calf raises for 30 seconds followed by 30 seconds of rest, repeated over a total protocol duration of 5 minutes.
Calf raises were performed at one repetition per second.
Gastrocnemius shear-wave elastography measurements were obtained before exercise, immediately after exercise, and after the standardized 5-minute percussive therapy recovery period.
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Participants performed bilateral standing calf raises for 30 seconds, followed by 30 seconds of rest.
The work-rest cycle was repeated over a total protocol duration of 5 minutes.
Calf raises were performed barefoot at a standardized cadence of one repetition per second using a metronome, with the feet shoulder-width apart and the hands positioned on the hips.
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Experimental: 15-Second Work / 45-Second Rest Protocol
Participants performed bilateral calf raises for 15 seconds followed by 45 seconds of rest, repeated over a total protocol duration of 5 minutes.
Calf raises were performed at one repetition per second.
Gastrocnemius shear-wave elastography measurements were obtained before exercise, immediately after exercise, and after the standardized 5-minute percussive therapy recovery period.
|
Participants performed bilateral standing calf raises for 15 seconds, followed by 45 seconds of rest.
The work-rest cycle was repeated over a total protocol duration of 5 minutes.
Calf raises were performed barefoot at a standardized cadence of one repetition per second using a metronome, with the feet shoulder-width apart and the hands positioned on the hips.
|
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Experimental: 45-Second Work / 15-Second Rest Protocol
Participants performed bilateral calf raises for 45 seconds followed by 15 seconds of rest, repeated over a total protocol duration of 5 minutes.
Calf raises were performed at one repetition per second.
Gastrocnemius shear-wave elastography measurements were obtained before exercise, immediately after exercise, and after the standardized 5-minute percussive therapy recovery period.
|
Participants performed bilateral standing calf raises for 45 seconds, followed by 15 seconds of rest.
The work-rest cycle was repeated over a total protocol duration of 5 minutes.
Calf raises were performed barefoot at a standardized cadence of one repetition per second using a metronome, with the feet shoulder-width apart and the hands positioned on the hips.
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O que o estudo está medindo?
Medidas de resultados primários
Medida de resultado |
Descrição da medida |
Prazo |
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Mean Change in Medial Gastrocnemius Shear-Wave Velocity
Prazo: Baseline, immediately after each 5-minute calf-raise protocol, and after the subsequent 5-minute percussive therapy recovery period, during each of 3 sessions separated by at least 48 hours.
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Medial gastrocnemius stiffness was assessed bilaterally using shear-wave elastography and reported as shear-wave velocity in meters per second (m/s), with higher values indicating greater stiffness.
Three acquisitions were obtained for each leg at each time point and averaged.
Mean changes were evaluated within each work-to-rest protocol from baseline to immediately after exercise, from immediately after exercise to after the percussive therapy recovery period, and from baseline to after recovery.
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Baseline, immediately after each 5-minute calf-raise protocol, and after the subsequent 5-minute percussive therapy recovery period, during each of 3 sessions separated by at least 48 hours.
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- PNU-14
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