COMPARATIVE EFFECTS OF FOAM ROLLING–BASED SELF-MYOFASCIAL RELEASE AND STATIC STRETCHING ON MUSCLE RECOVERY AND FLEXIBILITY IN MARATHON RUNNERS: A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL
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Abstract
Background: Muscle recovery and flexibility are crucial aspects of athletic performance in marathon runners. The present study compared the effects of foam rolling–based self-myofascial release (SMR) and static stretching on muscle recovery, flexibility, and soreness in young marathon runners.
Methods: A randomized controlled trial design was employed with 40 marathon runners aged 18–30 years. Participants were randomly allocated to Group A (foam rolling–based SMR) or Group B (static stretching). The intervention lasted 4 weeks. Outcome measures included joint range of motion (ROM) via goniometer, muscle soreness via Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and Likert scale, and lower limb strength via 5-Repetition Maximum (5RM) test.
Results: Both groups demonstrated improvements in flexibility and recovery. The SMR group showed superior reductions in muscle soreness and greater gains in ROM compared to the static stretching group. Strength recovery measured by 5RM was also more pronounced in the SMR group.
Conclusion: Foam rolling–based SMR appears to be more effective than static stretching in enhancing muscle recovery and flexibility in marathon runners. This supports the integration of SMR into training regimens.
References
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
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Gautam Pal
MPT, Department of Physiotherapy, Institute of Applied Medicines & Research (IAMR),
Dr Vaishali Chaudhary
Associate professor, IAMR, Department of Physiotherapy, Institute of Applied Medicines& Research (IAMR), Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University UP, Lucknow Corresponding Author DR. VAISHALI CHAUDHARY(Associate Professor, IAMR), Department of Physiotherapy, Institute of Applied Medicine & Research (IAMR), Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University UP, Lucknow
Dr. Monika Sharma
Professor & HOD, Institute Of Applied Medicines & Research (IAMR), Atal Bihari Vajpayee Medical University UP, Lucknow
