gastrocnemius

Active warm-up enhances neuromuscular readiness; however, its benefits fade rapidly during the transition period before competition or physical testing. Passive modalities applied post-warm-up may help sustain performance readiness, yet their acute effects remain insufficiently understood. This study compared the acute effects of infrared therapy and massage following active warm-up on balance, jump performance, and lower-extremity muscle tightness in healthy adults. One hundred participants (18–35 years) were randomly assigned to an infrared therapy group (n=50) or a massage group (n=50) following a 5-minute cycle ergometer warm-up. Each 10-minute intervention targeted the lower-extremity musculature. A blinded assessor evaluated dynamic balance (Y-Balance Test), static balance (Flamingo Balance Test), jump performance (MyJump2), and muscle tightness pre- and post-intervention. Both groups exhibited significant pre-to-post changes in balance, jump performance, and quadriceps and hamstring muscle tightness (p<0.001), whereas gastrocnemius tightness did not change significantly in either group (p=0.32). Between-group comparisons revealed no statistically significant differences in any outcome. Post-intervention vertical jump height was 22.35 ± 10.28 cm in the infrared therapy group and 21.59 ± 8.53 cm in the massage group (mean difference = 0.76 cm, 95% CI [−2.99, 4.52], Cohen’s d=0.08, p=0.68). Gastrocnemius tightness also did not differ significantly between groups (p=0.70). Following a standardized active warm-up, improvements were observed in both groups across most parameters, with no statistically significant between-group differences; these findings do not establish equivalence between the modalities. Future studies incorporating sham or non-intervention control groups are needed to clarify whether these changes stem directly from the passive interventions or the warm-up itself.

matched text: “gastrocnemius”

Objective The purpose was to determine the amount of time required for muscles to reach peak temperature in order to prevent muscle injury and maximize muscle readiness. This information will inform players and coaches as well as inspire further research. Methods This study investigated the optimal warm-up duration for high school tennis athletes using a dynamic jump roping warm-up. 14 participants (9 female, 5 male; mean age = 16.14 years) were tested as temperature changes in the gastrocnemius and soleus lower leg muscles were recorded in 30-second intervals. Results All participants reached peak muscle temperature within 150 seconds, with an average peak time of 109 seconds. The mean baseline temperature was 32.14°C, increasing to an average peak of 33.11°C, representing a mean increase of 0.97°C. Most participants (n=5) reached peak temperature at 120 seconds. Statistical analysis revealed a significant increase in temperature (p = 0.0202), suggesting that the observed changes were not due to chance. Conclusion These findings indicate that a dynamic warm-up of approximately 2 minutes is sufficient to achieve maximal muscle warming in high school tennis athletes. Extending the warm-up beyond this duration did not result in additional temperature increases and may contribute to unnecessary fatigue.

matched text: “gastrocnemius”