Background and Objectives: The Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) effectively strengthens the hamstrings, reduces the risk of hamstring strain, and induces fatigue in the muscles; thus, post-NHE recovery strategies should be optimized. Foam rolling (FR) is a widely used method, with the belief that it can speed up recovery. Thus, this study investigated the acute and 48-h effects of FR following the NHE on muscle stiffness, pain pressure threshold (PPT), flexibility, countermovement jump (CmJ) height, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC). Materials and Methods: Thirty-two active males were randomly assigned to either an FR group (n = 16) or a passive recovery (PR, n = 16) group. Measurements were taken at three time points: pre-test, post-test_0h, and post-test_48h. Participants performed the NHE (3 sets × 10 reps) before the recovery interventions. Variables assessed included muscle stiffness (MyotonPro), flexibility (sit and reach), PPT (algometer), jump performance (force platform), and MVIC peak torque (dynamometer). Results: FR significantly improved acute flexibility (12.7%, p < 0.001) following the NHE and prevented flexibility loss at 48 h, compared to the PR group. However, FR showed no significant advantages over PR in terms of muscle stiffness, PPT, CmJ, or MVIC, both acutely and at 48 h (p > 0.05). Conclusions: FR is an effective acute recovery strategy for improving flexibility after the NHE but offers limited effects for muscle stiffness, PPT, and other functional muscle parameters, both acutely and at 48 h. Further research should explore the long-term effects and efficacy of FR across diverse populations and recovery scenarios.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of foam roller (FR), dynamic stretching (DS), and passive recovery (PR) on blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) in hearing-impaired athletes after submaximal exercise. Twelve congenital (sensorineural) hearing impaired (>91dB) basketball players aged between 18-30 participated in the study voluntarily. Participants were randomly divided into 3 groups consisting of 4 subjects, and 3 different recovery methods after submaximal treadmill running exercises were performed in a cross-over design. BP and HRV parameters of the participants were measured at 4 different times, (i) pre-exercise, (ii) post-exercise, (ııı) during recovery, and (iv) after recovery. Data were analyzed with a two-way analysis of variance test for repeated measurements (3 groups x 4 times). There was a significant increase in RMSSD and HF compared to PR after the FR recovery and in 10-minute after recovery (p<0.05). There was a significant decrease in LF at 10 min after recovery exercise in FR compared to PR (p0.05). The FR recovery method applied after submaximal exercise in hearing-impaired basketball players significantly improved HRV compared to PR. Performing FR recovery exercises in the post-exercise or post-competition period may positively affect HRV. FR exercise can be recommended to coaches and athletes as a method of recovery after post-submaximal exercises.

This study aimed to examine the acute effect of different durations of static stretching on heart rate variability (HRV) and, the anaerobic capacity of moderately physically active men during the Wingate anaerobic test (WAnT) at two different pre-exercise periods. Sixty-five healthy young male volunteers performed 10 s static stretching (STS) and 30 s static stretching (LTS) consisting of five static stretching exercises before WAnT on two non-consecutive days. HRV was measured pre (60 s), during (30 s) and post (60 s) WAnT after two different periods of static stretching. Anaerobic capacity variables were also measured during WAnT. STS and LTS had similar effects on other HRV parameters except for Mean-RR during the WAnT. There was no significant difference between the protocols applied in any of the anaerobic capacity test values. But there was a negatively significant relationship between the average power output of 30 s static stretching and pNN50. This result has shown that STS and LTS exercises have a similar effect during maximal exercise, so if the practitioners carry out static stretching exercises before maximal or high-intensity exercise, it is recommended to perform the STS exercise in terms of the economy of the exercise.

Foam rolling has emerged as one of the most popular recovery methods in recent years. This study aims to evaluate the effects of foam rolling on the recovery process and various performance parameters in athletes and healthy active individuals. This research is a systematic review that analyzes randomized controlled trials published in English between January 2014 and March 2024, accessed through electronic databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO SportDiscuss with Full Text. The keywords used in the search include “foam rolling,” “foam roller,” “foam rolling massage,” and “myofascial release.” The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were utilized to guide the research process and the preparation of the report. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 14 articles were included in this review. The findings suggest that foam rolling accelerates recovery after injuries, facilitates the overall recovery process, and generally enhances performance. On the other hand, there is no definitive evidence indicating adverse effects on performance. Foam rolling may help mitigate declines in muscle performance, particularly in terms of physical attributes such as strength, power, and agility, and reduce perceived pain and effort following intense exercise. However, due to the heterogeneity of the study samples, further research focusing specifically on sports-related applications is recommended.

Objetivo: determinar el dominio del tiempo (SDNN, RMSSD) de la variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca (HRV) y la frecuencia cardíaca (HR) de los futbolistas jóvenes en diferentes entrenamientos. Método: participaron voluntariamente 15 jugadores de fútbol (media de edad = 15.5 ± 0.5 años, altura = 171.1 ± 7.9 cm, peso = 62.4 ± 8.9 kg, IMC = 21.2 ± 1.9 kg / m2), quienes se sometieron a 3 entrenamientos diferentes: velocidad, coordinación y partido de entrenamiento. La HRV y la HR de los deportistas se midieron durante el calentamiento, el entrenamiento principal y el enfriamiento en cada uno de los 3 entrenamientos. Resultados: hubo una interacción significativa entre el tiempo y la intervención en RMSSD (Frmat = 2.983) y HR (Frmat = 4.894). Los resultados indican que la HR y la HRV se ven afectadas de manera diferente por diversas prácticas de entrenamiento en fútbol.

Bu araştırmanın amacı anaerobik eşik (AE) ve anaerobik gücün (AG) kalp-atım-hızı-değişkenliği (KAHD) açısından test-öncesi, test-sırası ve sonrası değerlerle değişimi arasındaki farklılığın ve AE ile AG’nin KAHD parametreleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesidir. 25 sağlıklı erkek gönüllü olarak araştırmaya katıldı (Ort. yaş=24±0,9 yıl; boy=177,5±6,2 cm; ağırlık=80,4±8,3 kg). İlk gün boy, ağırlık ve vücut kompozisyonu ölçümü yapıldı. Wingate anaerobik kapasite testi uygulandı. Test-öncesinde (30 saniye), test-sırasında (30 saniye) ve test-sonrasında (30 saniye) KAHD için kayıt alındı. İkinci gün kardiyo-pulmoner egzersiz testi Bruce protokolü uygulandı. Test başlamadan önce (30 saniye), test süresince ve test bitiminde (30 saniye) KAHD kaydı alındı. Ön-test, test ve son-test için katılımcıların KAHD parametrelerini karşılaştırmak için tekrarlanan varyans analizi (ANOVA) kullanıldı. Grup içi karşılaştırmalar Bonferroni testi ile belirlendi. AE ile AG ilişkisi için Pearson korelasyon katsayısı belirlendi. Araştırma verilerinin analizi sonucunda AE ve AG için MeanRR için test-öncesi, test-sırası ve sonrasında anlamlıdır (p<0,001). SDNN için değişim AG ölçümünde test-sırası, test-sonrası (p<0,05) ve test-öncesi, test-sonrası (p<0,01), RMSSD için ise sadece AE bölgesinde test-öncesi, test sırası ve test-öncesi, test-sonrası arasında anlamlıdır (p<0,001). LFnu (p<0,05) ve HFnu (p<0,01) için test-öncesi ile test-sırası arasında anlamlı değişim görülmüştür. AE ile AG arasında ise KAHD parametrelerinden sadece LF/HF için anlamlı pozitif ilişki söz konusudur. Bu araştırma sonuçlarına göre AE ile AG için KAHD test-öncesinden başlayarak test-sırasında ve test-sonrasında artarak düşmeye devam etmekte olup test-sonrasında toparlanma sağlanamamaktadır. AE ile AG arasında KAHD değişimleri arasındaki ilişki sadece LF/HF için pozitif yönde anlamlıdır. AE ile AG, KAHD parametrelerinin düşüşü açısından benzerlik gösterse de tam olarak birbiriyle ilişkili olduğu söylenemez.