Clinical Research Directory

Associations of Respiratory Muscle Strength and Trunk Muscle Mechanical Properties With Dynamic Postural Control

This study will examine the associations of respiratory muscle strength and trunk muscle mechanical properties with dynamic balance and limits of stability in healthy young adults. The research will enroll healthy volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30. Participants will undergo assessments to measure their maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, as well as the tone and stiffness of their abdominal and lumbar paraspinal muscles. Additionally, the participants will complete computerized balance tests to evaluate their voluntary weight-shifting capabilities and their stability on a moving surface. Ultimately, the findings will determine whether evaluating these respiratory and trunk muscle characteristics will effectively complement standard clinical balance assessments.

Effects of Progressive Muscle Relaxation on Stress and Bowling Skills in Medium Fast Bowlers

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a 4-week Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) protocol can manage psychological stress and improve performance in male cricket medium-fast bowlers aged 16-30 years. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does a 4-week PMR protocol significantly reduce perceived stress scores compared to standard training? 2. Does a 4-week PMR protocol significantly improve ball release speed and bowling accuracy? Researchers will compare an experimental group receiving a structured PMR protocol prior to warm-ups to a control group following standard traditional training (generalized warm-ups, stretching, and shadow bowling) to see if the relaxation intervention leads to lower perceived stress, higher bowling speed, and improved bowling accuracy. Participants will: 1. Complete the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) at baseline and after the 4-week period. 2. Deliver six balls at a designated target pitch and stump zone while being timed by a hand-held radar gun to measure baseline and post-intervention speed and accuracy. 3. Depending on group assignment, either attend 2 sessions per week of a structured, contract-relax progressive muscle relaxation protocol or attend 2 sessions per week of traditional warm-up and stretching drills.

THE MYOFASCIAL SYSTEM AND MINIMIZING THE RISK OS INJURY IN SPORT

The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of myofascial self-release on muscle mechanical properties, performance, neuromuscular function, and injury risk reduction in young soccer players. The hypothesis is a reduction in the number of injuries in the experimental group, as well as improvements in muscle mechanical properties, performance, and neuromuscular function in young soccer players.The study will be a randomized clinical trial with a convenience sample of approximately 65 male athletes aged between 14 and 18 years, divided into control and experimental groups. Athletes with no history of injury in the three months prior to the study will be included, while those with a history of previous surgery or lower limb fractures in the past five years, or who are undergoing physiotherapy at the time of the study, will be excluded.Muscle mechanical properties (myotonometry), flexibility (sit-and-reach test), ankle dorsiflexion range of motion (Weight Bearing Lunge Test), motor control (Y Balance Test), and the reactive strength index (Myjump App) will be assessed before, immediately after, and at 8 and 16 weeks post-intervention. Myofascial self-release will be performed bilaterally on the quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves for 2 minutes per region, twice a week, using a structured massage roller. All procedures will be demonstrated beforehand during the study. For the Myoton procedure, the athlete will simply lie in a supine and prone position on the examination table. The athlete will only be asked to remain still in the "face-up" or "face-down" position, feeling only the light contact of the device's probe, which is painless and will be demonstrated beforehand. In the Y Balance Test, athletes will be asked to balance on one foot atop a grid placed on the floor, with their hands on their hips, and reach as far as possible with the non-supporting leg in three marked directions on the floor, without lifting the heel of the supporting leg. For the Ankle Range of Motion - Weight Bearing Lunge Test, the athlete will place the tested foot on a measuring tape positioned on the floor and will be instructed to touch their knee to the wall in front of them without lifting the heel of the tested foot. Three attempts will be allowed, and the longest distance from the big toe to the wall will be recorded. In the Sit-and-Reach Test, the athlete will sit on the floor with bare feet and both legs extended. They will be instructed to keep their hands side by side and try to reach the greatest possible distance on the ruler in front of them by bending forward without bending their legs, holding the position for one second to measure the distance. Three attempts will be allowed, and the greatest distance reached will be recorded. For ground reaction strength, the athlete will be asked to jump off a 40 cm high box, and as soon as their feet touch the ground, they will be encouraged to jump upward as quickly and as high as possible. In myofascial self-release, athletes in the experimental group will be asked to use the myofascial release roller for 2 minutes before training on each of the three muscle groups - anterior and posterior thigh and posterior leg. Athletes will be instructed to roll using as much pressure as possible on the roller. For the anterior thigh, they will roll across the entire front part of the thigh; for the posterior thigh, they will roll from just below the gluteal region to just above the knee; and for the posterior leg, they will roll from just below the knee to just above the heel.