Acute Changes in Gastrocnemius Muscle Stiffness

NCT07745452 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: PNU-14
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

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.

Conditions

Health Adult Subjects; Exercise-Induced Changes in Gastrocnemius Muscle Stiffness

Keywords

Medial gastrocnemius; Muscle stiffness; Calf-raise exercise; Work-to-rest ratio; Work density

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Mean Change in Medial Gastrocnemius Shear-Wave Velocity

  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.

  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.

Study Arms (3)

30-Second Work / 30-Second Rest Protocol

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: 30-Second Work / 30-Second Rest Calf-Raise Protocol

15-Second Work / 45-Second Rest Protocol

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: 15-Second Work / 45-Second Rest Calf-Raise Protocol

45-Second Work / 15-Second Rest Protocol

EXPERIMENTAL

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.

Behavioral: 45-Second Work / 15-Second Rest Calf-Raise Protocol

Interventions

30-Second Work / 30-Second Rest Calf-Raise Protocol BEHAVIORAL

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.

30-Second Work / 30-Second Rest Protocol

15-Second Work / 45-Second Rest Calf-Raise Protocol BEHAVIORAL

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.

15-Second Work / 45-Second Rest Protocol

45-Second Work / 15-Second Rest Calf-Raise Protocol BEHAVIORAL

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.

45-Second Work / 15-Second Rest Protocol

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• 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.

You may not qualify if:

• 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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University: lead

Study Sites (1)

İnönü University

Malatya, 44280, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Prof

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 30, 2026
• First Posted: August 4, 2026
• Study Start: June 24, 2025
• Primary Completion: February 24, 2026
• Study Completion: March 24, 2026
• Last Updated: August 4, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Locations

TU (1)