Nowadays, various methods are used for acute performance enhancement. The most recent of these is tissue flossing, which is becoming increasingly popular for both performance enhancement and rehabilitation. However, the effects of flossing on athletic performance have not been clearly demonstrated, which could be due to differences in the methodology used. In particular, the rest periods between the end of the preconditioning activity and the performance of the criterion task or assessment tools varied considerably in the published literature. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of applying tissue flossing to the thigh on bilateral countermovement jump performance and contractile properties of vastus lateralis (VL) muscle. Nineteen recreational athletes (11 males; aged 23.1 ± 2.7 years) were randomly assigned to days of flossing application (3 sets for 2 min of flossing with 2 min rest between sets) with preset experimental pressure (EXP = 95 ± 17.4 mmHg) or control condition (CON = 18.9 ± 3.5 mmHg). The first part of the measurements was performed before and after warm-up consisting of 5 min of cycling followed by dynamic stretching and specific jumping exercises, while the second part consisted of six measurement points after flossing application (0.5, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 min). The warm-up improved muscle response time (VL = -5%), contraction time (VL = -3.6%) muscle stiffness (VL = 17.5%), contraction velocity (VL = 23.5%), jump height (13.9%) and average power (10.5%). On the contrary, sustain time, half-relaxation time and take-off velocity stayed unaltered. Flossing, however, showed negative effects for muscle response time (F = 18.547, p < 0.001), contraction time (F = 14.899, p < 0.001), muscle stiffness (F = 8.365, p < 0.001), contraction velocity (F = 11.180, p < 0.001), jump height (F = 14.888, p < 0.001) and average power (F = 13.488, p < 0.001), whereas sustain time, half-relaxation time and take-off velocity were unaffected until the end of the study protocol regardless of condition assigned and/or time points of the assessment. It was found that the warm-up routine potentiated neuromuscular function, whereas the flossing protocol used in the current study resulted in fatigue rather than potentiation. Therefore, future studies aimed to investigate the dose-response relationship of different configurations of preconditioning activities on neuromuscular function are warranted.

Faculty of Sport University of Ljubljana Ljubljana Slovenia

Faculty of Sports Studies Masaryk University Brno Czechia

Science and Research Centre Koper Institute for Kinesiology Research Koper Slovenia

See more in PubMed

Abazović E., Kovačević E., Kovač S., Bradić J. (2015). The Effect of Training of the Non-dominant Knee Muscles on Ipsi- and Contralateral Strength Gains. Ies 23, 177–182. 10.3233/IES-150579 DOI

Abazovic E., Paravli A., Zubac D., Kova E. (2022). Decomposition of Tensiomyogram and Comparison with Torque Twitch Responses after post-activation Potentiation. PubMed PMC

Atkinson G., Nevill A. M. (1998). Statistical Methods for Assessing Measurement Error (Reliability) in Variables Relevant to Sports Medicine. Sports Med. 26, 217–238. 10.2165/00007256-199826040-00002 PubMed DOI

Barany M. (1967). ATPase Activity of Myosin Correlated with Speed of Muscle Shortening. J. Gen. Physiol. 50, 197–218. 10.1085/jgp.50.6.197 PubMed DOI PMC

Behm D. G., Kay A. D., Trajano G. S., Blazevich A. J. (2021). Mechanisms Underlying Performance Impairments Following Prolonged Static Stretching without a Comprehensive Warm-Up. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 121, 67–94. 10.1007/s00421-020-04538-8 PubMed DOI

Berg H. E., Tedner B., Tesch P. A. (1993). Changes in Lower Limb Muscle Cross-Sectional Area and Tissue Fluid Volume after Transition from Standing to Supine. Acta Physiol. Scand. 148, 379–385. 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1993.tb09573.x PubMed DOI

Bishop D. (2003a). Warm up I. Sports Med. 33 (6), 439–454. 10.2165/00007256-200333060-00005 PubMed DOI

Bishop D. (2003b). Warm up II. Sports Med. 33, 483–498. 10.2165/00007256-200333070-00002 PubMed DOI

Chiu L. Z. F., Fry A. C., Weiss L. W., Schilling B. K., Brown L. E., Smith S. L. (2003). Postactivation Potentiation Response in Athletic and Recreationally Trained Individuals. J. Strength Cond. Res. 17, 671–677. 10.1519/00124278-200311000-00008 PubMed DOI

Cohen J. (1988). Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences. 2nd Editio. Hillsdale NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Driller M., Mackay K., Mills B., Tavares F. (2017). Tissue Flossing on Ankle Range of Motion, Jump and Sprint Performance: A Follow-Up Study. Phys. Ther. Sport 28, 29–33. 10.1016/j.ptsp.2017.08.081 PubMed DOI

Driller M. W., Overmayer R. G. (2017). The Effects of Tissue Flossing on Ankle Range of Motion and Jump Performance. Phys. Ther. Sport 25, 20–24. 10.1016/j.ptsp.2016.12.004 PubMed DOI

Faul F., Erdfelder E., Lang A.-G., Buchner A. (2007). G*Power 3: A Flexible Statistical Power Analysis Program for the Social, Behavioral, and Biomedical Sciences. Behav. Res. Methods 39, 175–191. 10.3758/BF03193146 PubMed DOI

Hamada T., Sale D. G., MacDougall J. D., Tarnopolsky M. A. (2000). Postactivation Potentiation, Fiber Type, and Twitch Contraction Time in Human Knee Extensor Muscles. J. Appl. Physiol. 88, 2131–2137. 10.1152/jappl.2000.88.6.2131 PubMed DOI

Haugen T. A., Breitschädel F., Wiig H., Seiler S. (2021). Countermovement Jump Height in National-Team Athletes of Various Sports: A Framework for Practitioners and Scientists. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 16, 184–189. 10.1123/IJSPP.2019-0964 PubMed DOI

Hogan M. C., Kohin S., Stary C. M., Hepple R. T. (1999). Rapid Force Recovery in Contracting Skeletal Muscle after Brief Ischemia Is Dependent on O2 Availability. J. Appl. Physiol. 87, 2225–2229. 10.1152/jappl.1999.87.6.2225 PubMed DOI

Hopkins W. G. (2000). Measures of Reliability in Sports Medicine and Science. Sports Med. 30, 1–15. 10.2165/00007256-200030010-00001 PubMed DOI

Howell A. K., Gaughan J. P., Cairns M. A., Faigenbaum A. D., Libonati J. R. (2001). The Effect of Muscle Hypoperfusion-Hyperemia on Repetitive Vertical Jump Performance. J. Strength Cond. Res. 15, 446–449. 10.1519/1533-4287(2001)015<0446:teomhh>2.0.co;2 PubMed DOI

Husmann F., Mittlmeier T., Bruhn S., Zschorlich V., Behrens M. (2018). Impact of Blood Flow Restriction Exercise on Muscle Fatigue Development and Recovery. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc. 50, 436–446. 10.1249/MSS.0000000000001475 PubMed DOI

Karabulut M., Cramer J. T., Abe T., Sato Y., Bemben M. G. (2010). Neuromuscular Fatigue Following Low-Intensity Dynamic Exercise with Externally Applied Vascular Restriction. J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 20, 440–447. 10.1016/j.jelekin.2009.06.005 PubMed DOI

Konrad A., Bernsteiner D., Budini F., Reiner M. M., Glashüttner C., Berger C., et al. (2020). Tissue Flossing of the Thigh Increases Isometric Strength Acutely but Has No Effects on Flexibility or Jump Height. Eur. J. Sport Sci. 21, 1648–1658. 10.1080/17461391.2020.1853818 PubMed DOI

Konrad A., Močnik R., Nakamura M. (2021). Effects of Tissue Flossing on the Healthy and Impaired Musculoskeletal System: A Scoping Review. Front. Physiol. 12. 10.3389/fphys.2021.666129 PubMed DOI PMC

Loenneke J. P., Kim D., Fahs C. A., Thiebaud R. S., Abe T., Larson R. D., et al. (2015). Effects of Exercise with and without Different Degrees of Blood Flow Restriction on Torque and Muscle Activation. Muscle Nerve 51, 713–721. 10.1002/mus.24448 PubMed DOI

Loenneke J. P., Pujol T. J. (2009). The Use of Occlusion Training to Produce Muscle Hypertrophy. Strength Cond. J. 31, 77–84. 10.1519/ssc.0b013e3181a5a352 DOI

Loenneke J., Thiebaud R. S., Fahs C. A., Rossow L. M., Abe T., Bemben M. G. (2014). Blood Flow Restriction: Effects of Cuff Type on Fatigue and Perceptual Responses to Resistance Exercise. Acta Physiol. Hungarica 101, 158–166. 10.1556/APhysiol.101.2014.2.4 PubMed DOI

Loenneke J., Wilson J., Pujol T., Bemben M. (2011). Acute and Chronic Testosterone Response to Blood Flow Restricted Exercise. Horm. Metab. Res. 43, 669–673. 10.1055/s-0031-1286309 PubMed DOI

Loturco I., Pereira L. A., Kobal R., Kitamura K., Ramírez-Campillo R., Zanetti V., et al. (2016). Muscle Contraction Velocity: A Suitable Approach to Analyze the Functional Adaptations in Elite Soccer Players. J. Sport Sci. Med. 15, 483–491. PubMed PMC

Marco A. G.-L., Juan M. C.-T., Julián G.-M., Miguel G.-J. (2020). The Effects of Tissue Flossing on Perceived Knee Pain and Jump Performance: A Pilot Study. saj 8, 63–68. 10.13189/saj.2020.080203 DOI

McGowan C. J., Pyne D. B., Thompson K. G., Rattray B. (2015). Warm-Up Strategies for Sport and Exercise: Mechanisms and Applications. Sports Med. 45, 1523–1546. 10.1007/s40279-015-0376-x PubMed DOI

Mills B., Mayo B., Tavares F., Driller M. (2020). The Effect of Tissue Flossing on Ankle Range of Motion, Jump, and Sprint Performance in Elite Rugby Union Athletes. J. Sport Rehabil. 29, 282–286. 10.1123/jsr.2018-0302 PubMed DOI

Moir G. L. (2008). Three Different Methods of Calculating Vertical Jump Height from Force Platform Data in Men and Women. Meas. Phys. Edu. Exerc. Sci. 12, 207–218. 10.1080/10913670802349766 DOI

Paravlić A. H., Pisot R., Simunic B. (2020). Muscle-specific Changes of Lower Extremities in the Early Period after Total Knee Arthroplasty: Insight from Tensiomyography. J. Musculoskelet. Neuronal Interact. 20(3):390–397. PubMed PMC

Paravlić A., Zubac D., Šimunič B. (2017). Reliability of the Twitch Evoked Skeletal Muscle Electromechanical Efficiency: A Ratio between Tensiomyogram and M-Wave Amplitudes. J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 37, 108–116. 10.1016/j.jelekin.2017.10.002 PubMed DOI

Pereira L. A., Ramirez-Campillo R., Martín-Rodríguez S., Kobal R., Abad C. C. C., Arruda A. F. S., et al. (2018). Is Tensiomyography-Derived Velocity of Contraction a Sensitive Marker to Detect Acute Performance Changes in Elite Team-Sport Athletes. Int. J. Sports Physiol. Perform. 15, 31–37. 10.1123/ijspp.2018-0959 PubMed DOI

Pišot R., Narici M. V., Šimunič B., De Boer M., Seynnes O., Jurdana M., et al. (2008). Whole Muscle Contractile Parameters and Thickness Loss during 35-day Bed Rest. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 104, 409–414. 10.1007/s00421-008-0698-6 PubMed DOI

Redd M. J., Starling-Smith T. M., Herring C. H., Stock M. S., Wells A. J., Stout J. R., et al. (2021). Tensiomyographic Responses to Warm-Up Protocols in Collegiate Male Soccer Athletes. Jfmk 6, 80. 10.3390/jfmk6040080 PubMed DOI PMC

Rixon K. P., Lamont H. S., Bemben M. G. (2007). Influence of Type of Muscle Contraction, Gender, and Lifting Experience on Postactivation Potentiation Performance. J. Strength Cond. Res. 21, 500–505. 10.1519/r-18855.1 PubMed DOI

Salvador A. F., De Aguiar R. A., Lisbôa F. D., Pereira K. L., Cruz R. S. d. O., Caputo F., et al. (2016). Ischemic Preconditioning and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Br. Rev. Int. J. Sport Physiol. Perform. 11, 4–14. 10.1123/ijspp.2015-0204 PubMed DOI

Seijas R., Alentorn-Geli E., Álvarez-Díaz P., Marín M., Ares O., Sallent A., et al. (2016). Gluteus Maximus Impairment in Femoroacetabular Impingement: a Tensiomyographic Evaluation of a Clinical Fact. Arch. Orthop. Trauma Surg. 136, 785–789. 10.1007/s00402-016-2428-6 PubMed DOI

Seitz L. B., Haff G. G. (2016). Factors Modulating Post-Activation Potentiation of Jump, Sprint, Throw, and Upper-Body Ballistic Performances: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 46, 231–240. 10.1007/s40279-015-0415-7 PubMed DOI

Seitz L. B., Haff G. G., Wilson J. M., Duncan N. M., Marin P. J., Brown L. E., et al. (2016). Factors Modulating Post-Activation Potentiation of Jump, Sprint, Throw, and Upper-Body Ballistic Performances: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 46, 231–240. 10.1007/s40279-015-0415-7 PubMed DOI

Šimunič B. (2012). Between-day Reliability of a Method for Non-invasive Estimation of Muscle Composition. J. Electromyogr. Kinesiol. 22, 527–530. 10.1016/j.jelekin.2012.04.003 PubMed DOI

Šimunič B., Degens H., Rittweger J., Narici M., Mekjavić I. B., Pišot R. (2011). Noninvasive Estimation of Myosin Heavy Chain Composition in Human Skeletal Muscle. Med. Sci. Sport Exerc. Sport Exerc. D 43, 1619–1625. 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31821522d0 PubMed DOI

Staron R. S., Hagerman F. C., Hikida R. S., Murray T. F., Hostler D. P., Crill M. T., et al. (2000). Fiber Type Composition of the Vastus Lateralis Muscle of Young Men and Women. J. Histochem. Cytochem. 48, 623–629. 10.1177/002215540004800506 PubMed DOI

Tillin N. A., Bishop D. (2009). Factors Modulating Post-Activation Potentiation and its Effect on Performance of Subsequent Explosive Activities. Sports Med. 39, 147–166. 10.2165/00007256-200939020-00004 PubMed DOI

Tsolakis C., Bogdanis G. C., Nikolaou A., Zacharogiannis E. (2011). Influence of Type of Muscle Contraction and Gender on Postactivation Potentiation of Upper and Lower Limb Explosive Performance in Elite Fencers. J. Sports Sci. Med. 10, 577–583. PubMed PMC

Underwood F. B., Iazzetti J., Perotto A., Morrison D. (2006). Anatomical Guide for the Electromyographer: The Limbs and Trunk, Ed 4. Phys. Ther. 86, 1043. 10.1093/ptj/86.7.1043 DOI

Valenčič V. (1990). "Direct Measurement of the Skeletal Muscle Tonus," in Advances in External Control of Human Extremities. Editor Popovič D.. Beograd: Nauka, 102–108.

Vogrin M., Kalc M., en T. L. (2020a). Acute Effects of Tissue Flossing Around the Upper Thigh on Neuromuscular Performance: A Study Using Different Degrees of Wrapping Pressure. Authorea Prepr.30(4):601–608. 10.1123/jsr.2020-0105 PubMed DOI

Vogrin M., Novak F., Licen T., Greiner N., Mikl S., Kalc M. (2021b). Acute Effects of Tissue Flossing on Ankle Range of Motion and Tensiomyography Parameters. J. Sport Rehabil. 30, 129–135. 10.1123/JSR.2019-0160 PubMed DOI

Wallace B. J., Shapiro R., Wallace K. L., Abel M. G., Symons T. B. (2019). Muscular and Neural Contributions to Postactivation Potentiation. J. Strength Cond. Res. 33, 615–625. 10.1519/jsc.0000000000003011 PubMed DOI

Wilson J. M., Duncan N. M., Marin P. J., Brown L. E., Loenneke J. P., Wilson S. M. C., et al. (2013). Meta-Analysis of Postactivation Potentiation and Power. J. Strength Cond. Res. 27, 854–859. 10.1519/jsc.0b013e31825c2bdb PubMed DOI

Zubac D., Paravlić A., Koren K., Felicita U., Šimunič B. (2019). Plyometric Exercise Improves Jumping Performance and Skeletal Muscle Contractile Properties in Seniors. J. Musculoskelet. Neuronal Interact 19, 38–49. PubMed PMC

The association between unilateral and bilateral performance-related measures in elite female soccer players: a multifaceted investigation