The Effects of Self-Myofascial Release on Hamstring and Gastrocnemius Muscles Using Foam Roll on Postural Sway, Knee Proprioception, and Dynamic Balance in Recreationally Active Females

Abstract

Poor joint proprioception and balance maintenance may lead to sports injuries. Numerous studies have indicated that self-myofascial release (SMR) can improve the function of the proprioception and balance systems. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the effects of acute bouts of SMR on the center of pressure displacements during four stance positions, knee joint position sense at 45° and 90° in open kinetic chain tasks, and dynamic balance during the Y-balance test. Forty-two recreationally active females aged 20–25 years were assigned to either the foam roll group performing 1 min × 3 sets of SMR in the posttest session (N = 22) or the control group (N = 20). Joint position sense at 90° (p = .021), dynamic balance in the anterior (p = .007) and posterolateral (p < .001) directions, as well as the composite score (p = .001), improved significantly in the foam roll group. According to the findings, SMR may improve knee joint position sense at 90° and dynamic balance without any significant impacts on postural sway.