Effects of a 3-week foam rolling warm-up intervention on ankle dorsiflexion measurements and jumping performance in young rhythmic gymnasts

Abstract

Background: Few studies have analyzed the medium- to long-term effects of warm-up protocols on biomechanical and performance parameters in athletes. This study evaluated the effects of a 3-week foam rolling (FR) protocol integrated into the initial phase of the warm-up on ankle dorsiflexion parameters and jumping performance through the countermovement jump test (CMJ) in young rhythmic gymnasts. Methods: Twenty-six female young rhythmic gymnasts who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study and were divided into the FR group (n = 12; Age = 13.2 +/- 2.59 years; Height = 152.3 +/- 13.34 cm; Weight = 39.9 +/- 11.22 kg) or the C (Control) group (n = 14; Age = 13.4 +/- 2.17 years; Height = 149.5 +/- 13.33 cm; Weight = 40.6 +/- 10.14 kg). An initial evaluation (T0) and an evaluation after the 3-week FR warm-up protocol were conducted. An inertial sensor was used to analyze ankle dorsiflexion using the following parameters: range of motion (ROM) (degrees), angular velocity (degrees/s), and fluency index (0-1). An optical detection sensor detected the jump height and flight time of the CMJ test. Results: Significant differences were found between T0 and T1 in the FR group and between the FR group and the C group at T1. Significant between-subject interaction effects (F = 32.58; p < 0.001; eta p(2) = .576) and group-by-time interaction effects (F = 9.73; p < 0.01; eta p(2) = .288) were found. Specifically, significant enhancements in CMJ performance (p < 0.001) and angular dorsiflexion velocity of the right ankle (p < 0.05) were noted after the intervention in the FR group. Conclusions: Our results suggest that a 3-week FR intervention incorporated into the warm-up routine of young rhythmic gymnasts led to an increase in jump performance, but not in ankle dorsiflexion ROM parameters. Further studies are necessary to investigate the effects of warm-up on biomechanical parameters using longer FR protocols. Trial registration: NCT07113249. Registration date: 02/08/2025.