Abstract
This study aimed to examine the effects of stimulation by PL irradiation, stretch, light exercise and their mixture on the ankle range of motion (ROM) and toe tapping tests (agility). Twenty healthy young people [mean ± SD; 10 males: age 23.4 ± 2.7 yr, height 171.6 ± 3.6 cm, body weight 69.5 ± 5.4 kg; 10 females: age 21.3 ± 2.0 yr, height 162.9 ± 4.6 cm, body mass 55.6 ± 6.8 kg] participated in six experimental conditions [rest (Rest), PL-irradiation (E1), light exercise (E2), stretching (E3), E3 plus E1, and E3 plus E2]. Each subject took the ankle ROM and toe tapping tests before and after the above experiments. Ankle ROM showed significant changes (F0=34.3, p<0.05), and the post tests in all conditions, except for the Rest condition, had larger values than the pre tests. The toe tapping performance improved significantly (F0=5.06, p<0.05) only in the E2 condition. The present results suggest that even passive warming-up, such as with E1 and E3, improves the ankle ROM; however, the toe tapping performance can only be improved by positive muscle stimulus through light exercise.
