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Acute Changes in Gastrocnemius Muscle Stiffness

NCT07745452 · Status: COMPLETED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 30

Last updated 2026-08-04

No results posted yet for this study

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

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

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

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.

BEHAVIORAL

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

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.

BEHAVIORAL

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

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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Princess Nourah Bint Abdulrahman University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
SINGLE
Model
CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
30 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2025-06-24
Primary Completion
2026-02-24
Completion
2026-03-24

Countries

  • Turkey (Türkiye)

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07745452 on ClinicalTrials.gov