The Sex-Specific Impact of a Single Foam Rolling Session on Peripheral Muscle Oxygenation

NCT07078448 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: GP-FR-25G
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 36
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The hamstring muscle, as a biarticular muscle, plays a crucial role in both hip extension and knee flexion and is part of the Superficial Back Line, which supports upright posture and prevents excessive flexion. Its continuous postural function requires endurance-oriented muscle fibers and sustained low-level muscle tone. Tightness in the hamstrings is commonly linked to postural imbalances and structural factors, contributing to gait alterations, low back pain, tendinopathy, and other musculoskeletal disorders. Improving hamstring flexibility is important for performance and injury prevention, with myofascial release-particularly self-myofascial release using foam rollers-being an effective method. Foam rolling reduces muscle tension, enhances tissue hydration, and may alleviate fascial adhesions. However, sex differences exist in connective tissue properties, potentially influencing outcomes. Limited research has explored foam rolling's impact on peripheral muscle oxygenation. This study aims to investigate the effect of foam rolling on hamstring muscle oxygen saturation in recreational individuals with tightness, with a hypothesis that females may show greater increases.

Conditions

Hamstring Muscles; Hamstring Shortness; Hamstring Tightness

Keywords

Moxy; Myofascial Release; hamstring shortness; Near-Infrared Spectroscopy; range of motion

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Muscle Oxygenation Assessment

  Muscle oxygenation will be assessed using the MOXY Monitor, a portable, wireless, near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-based device. The monitor will be placed on the belly of the right biceps femoris muscle and secured with an opaque elastic band to prevent ambient light interference. Measurements will be taken five minutes before and five minutes after the intervention session. During each measurement, the device will record data for 60 seconds, and the average SmO₂ (muscle oxygen saturation) value over this period will be used for analysis.

  baseline, immediately after the intervention, ten minutes after the baseline

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Active Knee Extension (AKE) Test

  baseline, immediately after the intervention, ten minutes after the baseline

Study Arms (2)

female

EXPERIMENTAL

foam roller intervention

Other: Foam Roller

male

EXPERIMENTAL

foam roller intervention as the females received

Other: Foam Roller

Interventions

Foam Roller OTHER

FR will be applied to each hamstring muscle for 3 minutes per leg, totaling 6 minutes. The pressure was self-regulated by participants, who are instructed to apply as much body weight as tolerable. The rolling frequency is maintained at approximately 0.5 Hz, corresponding to one complete rolling cycle every 2 seconds. Before the intervention, participants will receive verbal and visual instructions to ensure correct execution.

female; male

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Gender Eligibility Details: No, gender identity did not differ from biological sex in any participant; therefore, eligibility was based on biological sex.
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy individuals aged between 18 and 35 years
• Both male and female participants
• Absence of any known health conditions
• Hamstring tightness defined as ≥20° of knee flexion angle in Active Knee Extension test

You may not qualify if:

• Any neuromuscular or orthopedic disorders affecting the lower extremities
• Circulatory or vascular problems
• Respiratory or cardiovascular diseases
• Renal failure
• Presence of pain during measurements or exercise protocols
• Excessive skin sensitivity or active skin infection
• History of intense physical activity within the last 48 hours

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Pelin Pişirici: lead

Study Sites (1)

Bahçeşehir University

Istanbul, Beşiktaş, 34353, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Officials

• Gökhan Koçak, MD

  Medipol University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Pelin Pişirici, PT, PhD

  Bahcesehir University, Faculty of Health Sciences

  STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor, PT, PhD

Model Details: Participants who met the inclusion criteria were divided into two groups according to sex (female and male). Each group received the same foam roller intervention. Hamstring muscle oxygenation and joint range of motion were measured before the intervention, immediately after, and ten minutes post-intervention.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 14, 2025
• First Posted: July 22, 2025
• Study Start: June 1, 2025
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2025
• Study Completion: August 1, 2025
• Last Updated: September 23, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)