Remote effects of a 7-week combined stretching and foam rolling training intervention of the plantar foot sole on the function and structure of the triceps surae

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Authors

  • Andreas Konrad
  • Marina Maren Reiner
  • Anna Gabriel
  • Konstantin Warneke
  • Masatoshi Nakamura
  • Markus Tilp

It is known that a single bout of foam rolling (FR) or stretching can induce changes in range of motion (ROM) and performance in non-directly adjoining areas of the dorsal chain (i.e., remote effects). However, to date, it is not known if such effects exist following long-term interventions. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the remote effects of a 7-week combined stretching and FR training intervention of the plantar foot sole. Thirty-eight recreational athletes were randomly assigned to either an intervention (n = 20) or control (n = 18) group. The intervention group performed stretching and FR exercises of the plantar foot sole for 7 weeks. Before and after the intervention, the dorsiflexion ankle ROM, passive resistive torque at maximum angle (PRTmax) and at a fixed angle, as well as maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque, were measured with a dynamometer. Gastrocnemius medialis and lateralis stiffness was assessed with shear wave elastography. The results showed no interaction effect for any of the parameters. There was a time effect indicating an increase in MVIC and PRTmax, which was more pronounced in the intervention group (+ 7.4 (95% CI 2.5–12.4), + 4.5 (95% CI − 0.2–9.2)) than the control group (+ 3.6 (95% CI − 1.4–8.6), + 4.0 (95% CI − 2.2 to 10.2)). The results indicate no or minor remote effects of combined stretching and FR of the foot sole in the ankle joint. Potential non-significant changes in ROM were accompanied with an increase in stretch tolerance, but not with changes in muscle structure.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean Journal of Applied Physiology
Volume123
Issue number8
Pages (from-to)1645-1653
Number of pages9
ISSN1439-6319
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 08.2023

Bibliographical note

This study was supported by a grant (Project P 32078-B) from the Austrian Science Fund FWF.
Open access funding provided by Austrian Science Fund (FWF).
Publisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).