Immediate Effects of Foam Rolling and Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation Stretching on Hamstring Flexibility

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to determine which interventions are effective in increasing hamstring flexibility due to changes in the range of motion (ROM) and pennation angle (PA) when foam rolling (FR) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching were performed. Methods: A total of 24 healthy participants who agreed to participate in the study were randomly chosen. The participants were divided into three groups of eight people: Control, FR, and PNF stretching groups. The hip flexion angle (ROM) and PA of the hamstrings were measured before and after the experiment. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to analyze the ROM and PA for each group by comparing the before and after results. The Kruskal-Wallis test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used to analyze the increase in hamstring flexibility between the groups. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in the ROM and PA within all groups, and only the ROM was significant in the comparison between the three groups. In the comparison between the control and other two groups, a significant difference was noted in both the ROM and PA in the FR group and only the ROM in the PNF stretching group (p< 0.05). In the comparison between the FR and PNF stretching groups, no significant difference was observed (p> 0.05). Conclusion: These findings FR and PNF stretching increased the ROM; however, no change in PA was observed. Therefore, FR and PNF stretching were considered effective interventions in immediately increasing hamstring flexibility.

Immediate Effect of Active Release Technique versus Foam Rolling on Hamstring Tightness in Computer Workers

“…These findings advocate for integrating these interventions into warm-up routines, offering valuable insights for optimizing exercise preparation and performance enhancement. [17] Ji-eun Choi et al (2022) studied the immediate effects of foam rolling (FR) and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF) stretching on hamstring flexibility. Participants, strategically assigned to Control, FR, and PNF groups, experienced notable improvements in range of motion (ROM) within all groups.…”

“…Interestingly, FR demonstrated a more comprehensive impact, influencing not only ROM but also the pennation angle (PA), emphasizing its potential for addressing both structural and functional aspects of hamstring flexibility. [18]…”