Abstract
This study investigated the effects of vibration foam rolling （VFR） intervention on the lower limb muscles immediately after prolonged tennis play. Twelve female collegiate tennis players participated in two trials in a random order. In one trial, VFR intervention was applied to the lower limb muscle groups immediately after 140 minutes of tennis play （VFR condition）. In the other trial, no intervention was applied, and the participants rested in a sitting position （control condition）. The ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, muscle hardness and pressure pain threshold of the lower leg muscle group, countermovement jumping height （CMJ）, and subjective fatigue level of the lower limb were measured in this study. Measurements were obtained before playing tennis, immediately after playing tennis, and immediately after VFR intervention. In the VFR condition, muscle hardness and subjective fatigue of the lower leg were significantly reduced compared to those in the control condition. However, there were no significant differences in ankle dorsiflexion range of motion or CMJ between the conditions. Therefore, the results of this study indicate that VFR intervention for the lower extremity muscle group immediately after prolonged tennis play improves the muscle hardness of the lower leg muscle group and the subjective fatigue level of the lower limb. However, the ankle dorsiflexion range of motion, pressure pain threshold of the lower leg muscle group, and CMJ may not be affected.
