The hamstring muscle, as a biarticular muscle, plays a crucial role in both hip extension and knee flexion and is part of the Superficial Back Line, which supports upright posture and prevents excessive flexion. Its continuous postural function requires endurance-oriented muscle fibers and sustained low-level muscle tone. Tightness in the hamstrings is commonly linked to postural imbalances and structural factors, contributing to gait alterations, low back pain, tendinopathy, and other musculoskeletal disorders. Improving hamstring flexibility is important for performance and injury prevention, with myofascial release-particularly self-myofascial release using foam rollers-being an effective method. Foam rolling reduces muscle tension, enhances tissue hydration, and may alleviate fascial adhesions. However, sex differences exist in connective tissue properties, potentially influencing outcomes. Limited research has explored foam rolling's impact on peripheral muscle oxygenation. This study aims to investigate the effect of foam rolling on hamstring muscle oxygen saturation in recreational individuals with tightness, with a hypothesis that females may show greater increases.
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Muscle Oxygenation Assessment
Timeframe: baseline, immediately after the intervention, ten minutes after the baseline