Vibrating and Non-Vibrating Foam-Rolling on DOMS

NCT07877181 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: HU-KA-22073
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to determine whether vibrating foam rolling is more effective than non-vibrating foam rolling for improving ankle function and reducing muscle soreness after delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in physically active healthy adults. The main questions this study aims to answer are:

• Does vibrating foam rolling improve ankle dorsiflexion range of motion after DOMS?
• Does vibrating foam rolling improve dynamic balance after DOMS?
• Does vibrating foam rolling affect gastrocnemius muscle strength and passive muscle mechanical properties?
• Does vibrating foam rolling reduce pain and muscle soreness after DOMS? Researchers will compare vibrating foam rolling with non-vibrating foam rolling applied to the opposite legs of the same participants to determine whether vibration provides additional benefits. Participants will be physically active healthy adults. The study consists of two sessions separated by 48 hours. During the first session, participants will undergo baseline assessments of muscle properties, pain, ankle range of motion, dynamic balance, and gastrocnemius muscle strength. They will then perform a weighted heel-raise exercise designed to induce delayed onset muscle soreness in the gastrocnemius muscles. Forty-eight hours later, participants who develop sufficient muscle soreness will repeat the assessments and receive foam rolling. One leg will be randomly assigned to vibrating foam rolling and the other leg to non-vibrating foam rolling. Each leg will receive three 1-minute foam rolling sets, with 30 seconds of rest between sets. Assessments will be repeated immediately after the foam rolling intervention.

Conditions

Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

Keywords

Foam rolling; vibration therapy; DOMS; gastrocnemius; muscle stiffness; recovery

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Ankle Dorsiflexion Range of Motion

  Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion was assessed using the Weight-Bearing Lunge Test. Participants moved the tested knee toward the wall while maintaining heel contact. The maximum distance between the great toe and the wall was recorded in centimeters. Three measurements were performed for each lower extremity and the mean value was used for analysis.

  Baseline, 48 hours after DOMS induction, and immediately after foam rolling

• Dynamic Balance

  Dynamic balance was assessed using the Y-Balance Test. Participants performed maximal reaches in the anterior, posteromedial, and posterolateral directions while maintaining single-leg stance. Each direction was measured three times and the mean reach distance was recorded. Reach distances were normalized to lower-extremity length.

  Baseline, 48 hours after DOMS induction, and immediately after foam rolling

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Gastrocnemius Muscle Strength

  Baseline, 48 hours after DOMS induction, and immediately after foam rolling

• Gastrocnemius Muscle Mechanical Properties

  Baseline, 48 hours after DOMS induction, and immediately after foam rolling

• Pain

  Baseline, 48 hours after DOMS induction, and immediately after foam rolling

Study Arms (2)

Vibrating Foam Rolling

EXPERIMENTAL

Other: Vibrating Foam Rolling

Non-Vibrating Foam Rolling

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Other: Non-Vibrating Foam Rolling

Interventions

Vibrating Foam Rolling OTHER

Vibrating foam rolling at 48 Hz, three 1-minute sets with 30-second rest intervals

Vibrating Foam Rolling

Non-Vibrating Foam Rolling OTHER

Non-vibrating foam rolling using the same protocol and device, with vibration turned off.

Non-Vibrating Foam Rolling

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Physically active adults with a Tegner Activity Level Scale score of 5 or 6.
• No lower extremity injury within the previous 1 year.

You may not qualify if:

• Lower extremity injury within the previous 1 year.
• Neurological pathology.
• Previous surgery.
• Body mass index (BMI) \>24.9 kg/m².
• Failure to develop delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), defined as a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score \<3 following the DOMS induction protocol.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Hacettepe University: lead
• Izmir Katip Celebi University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Hacettepe University

Ankara, Ankara, 06050, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Study Officials

• Gulcan Harput

  Hacettepe University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Model Details: This study utilizes a randomized, within-subject, split-body (contralateral limb) design. All participants receive both interventions. For each participant, one lower extremity is randomly allocated to the vibrating foam rolling condition, while the contralateral lower extremity receives the non-vibrating foam rolling condition using the identical device with vibration disabled. Randomization determines the side assignment (dominant/non-dominant or right/left), and each participant serves as their own internal control.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 9, 2026
• First Posted: October 16, 2026
• Study Start: January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2023
• Study Completion: June 1, 2023
• Last Updated: October 20, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-10

Locations

TU (1)