Acute Effects of Combining Dynamic Stretching and Vibration Foam Rolling Warm-up on Lower-Limb Muscle Performance and Functions in Female Handball Players

Chen, CH, Chiu, CH, Tseng, WC, Wu, CY, Su, HH, Chang, CK, and Ye, X. Acute effects of combining dynamic stretching and vibration foam rolling warm-up on lower-limb muscle performance and functions in female handball players. J Strength Cond Res 37(6): 1277-1283, 2023-The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of 3 warm-up protocols on knee flexor and extensor muscles performance in elite female collegiate handball players. Ten female handball players with poor hamstring flexibility completed 3 randomly sequenced experimental visits. During each visit, a different warm-up protocol (general running warm-up [GW], dynamic stretching [DS], or DS combined with vibration foam rolling [DS + VR]) was delivered before the subsequent tests: quadriceps and hamstring muscle stiffness, knee extension and flexion range of motion (ROM), knee joint position sense, knee extension and flexion isokinetic strength with hamstring-quadriceps strength ratio, and muscle endurance during fatiguing exercise. Relative to the GW, the DS + VR protocol resulted in significantly greater knee flexion ROM (mean +/- SD: DS + VR = 79.4 degrees +/- 7.7 degrees; GW = 69.3 degrees +/- 9.6 degrees) and lower hamstring muscle stiffness (DS + VR = 253.33 +/- 36.20 N center dot m(-1); GW = 292.89 +/- 24.28 N center dot m(-1)). In addition, the DS + VR protocol also yielded greater hamstring muscle endurance than the other 2 protocols did (fatigue percentage: DS + VR = 30.24% +/- 10.84%; GW = 41.40% +/- 8.98%; DS = 42.22% +/- 9.42%). Therefore, the results of this experiment suggest that it can be more beneficial for the female handball players to warm-up with the DS + VR, rather than the GW and DS protocols.

Automated summary

This study compared the acute effects of three warm-up protocols on knee flexor and extensor muscles performance in elite female collegiate handball players. The results showed that the dynamic stretching combined with vibration foam rolling warm-up protocol is more effective in improving knee flexion range of motion and reducing hamstring stiffness, and it also enhances hamstring muscle endurance.