Suction Cups and Foam Roller in the Improvement of the Flexibility in Basketball Players

Summary

Introduction. Basketball is a predominantly anaerobic exercise that exposes to high intensity actions (jumps, speed control, accelerations and decelerations, and changes of direction). A lack of flexibility can affect the appearance of muscle injuries. Foam roller is a myofascial self-release technique using a foam roller. The suction cups are an instrumental technique where the negative pressure produces an increase in the blood flow of the tissues.

Goals. To evaluate the effectiveness of a physiotherapy intervention through suction cups and foam roller in amateur basketball players.

Study design. Randomized, single-blind clinical study with a follow-up period. Methodology. The 20 basketball players that are expected to be recruited will be randomly assigned to the two study groups: experimental (suction cups and Foam roller) and control (Foam roller). The intervention will last 4 weeks, with 2 weekly sessions. The study variable will be: hamstring flexibility (measured with finger-ground, Well and Shober tests). The analysis of normality will be carried out with the Shapiro-Wilk test. In case of homogeneity of the groups, we will use parametric tests: t-student test of repeated measures (difference between evaluations) and ANOVA of repeated means (intra and intersubject effect).

Expected results. An intervention using suction cups and foam roller is effective in improving the flexibility of the hamstring muscles in basketball players.

Conditions

• Flexibility, Waxy

Interventions

OTHER

Suction cups

The technique will be performed with the subject sitting on the floor, placing the Foam roller on the back of the thigh, requesting the athlete to perform cranial and caudal movements during the established time. The stretching exercise with the Foam roller will be done during 2 minutes in each member. The intervention through the suction cups will be performed with the subject in prone position, on the stretcher. The suckers are placed in the proximal part where the posterior musculature of the leg originates and in the distal part of the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranous insertion. This administration of the suckers will be applied during a period of 7 minutes in each member.

OTHER

Foam roller

Each session will last 18 minutes, taking place two days a week, in a period of 4 weeks. The intervention will be carried out before starting the training session. The intervention through the self-administration of Foam roller has the objective of increasing the flexibility of the isquitibial musculature. The technique will be performed with the subject sitting on the floor, placing the Foam roller on the back of the thigh, requesting the athlete to perform cranial and caudal movements during the established time. The stretching exercise with the Foam roller will be done during 2 minutes in each member.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Investigación en Hemofilia y Fisioterapia

  lead NETWORK

Principal Investigators

• Rubén Cuesta-Barriuso, PhD · Universidad Europea de Madrid

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

MALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-03-10

Primary Completion

2019-04-20

Completion

2019-06-20

Countries

• Spain

Study Locations