Date of Defense

4-19-2022

Date of Graduation

4-2022

Department

Human Performance and Health Education

First Advisor

Timothy Michael

Second Advisor

Carol Weideman

Abstract

Foam-rolling (FR) has gained popularity among many fitness enthusiasts, but whether it is beneficial or not is still being investigated. A number of studies researched its effect on recovery for athletes such as runners and bodybuilders, but the effects of the foam-rolling process was only assessed following a workout. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of foam-rolling prior to activity and whether it enhanced performance for a vertical jump and/or range of motion (ROM) in the hip and ankle joints. Thirty-four subjects were recruited from Western Michigan University and performed all necessary conditions in the Human Performance Lab on Western Michigan University’s campus. Participants began their first day without incorporating foam-rolling previous to the two exercise assessments. This will be referred to as the first condition, or C1. Subjects were given instruction on how to perform a vertical jump on the Just Jump mat and also a ROM test for both the hip and ankle. Tests were performed three times consecutively and the best score was recorded. The second time participants completed the assessments was referred to as the second condition, or C2. Participants had to come into the lab within a seven-day period to complete the two conditions. C2 began with a 12-minute foam-rolling routine of the quadricep muscle group, hamstring muscle group, gluteal muscles, and calves. C1 was the initial, baseline, assessment of vertical jump and ROM while C2 included foam-rolling (FR) prior to those same assessments. Participants began on their left side and rolled out their left buttock for thirty seconds, moved onto their left hamstring group for thirty seconds, next their left calf for thirty seconds and lastly their left thigh for thirty seconds. This was a two-minute routine repeated three times for a total of 6-minutes. Participants then moved onto their right side and repeated the same routine. Afterwards, vertical jump and ROM were assessed and the best score of three was recorded for analysis.

Access Setting

Honors Thesis-Open Access

Additional Files
Thesis Presentation.pdf (1481 kB)
Defense Presentation
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