The Impact of Self-myofascial Trigger Point Release on Fatigue Management and Performance in Female College Basketball Players
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Authors
McClung, Hanna
Issue Date
2022-05
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
Alternative Title
Description/Abstract
Basketball represents a sport that often causes substantial musculoskeletal injury. Female basketball players report delayed muscle activation, interfering with their ability to land properly. Fatigue also coincides with delayed neuromuscular activation. Both men and women reported decreased hamstring, quadricep, and gastrocnemius activation when fatigue was present (Gehring, Melnyk, & Gollhofer, 2009). Muscular trauma presents itself as myofascial pain, signaling improper muscle function. Travell and Simons (1999) define a trigger point as an irritated band of skeletal muscle that is painful once compressed, stretched, or contracted. Trigger points have been reported to cause increased muscle fatigability and altered muscular activation patterns (Gerwin, 1999). By implementing trigger point release therapy, the taut muscle band can return to normal length and functionality, reducing the risk of fatigue-related performance hindrances. The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of a once-weekly self-myofascial trigger point therapy on the vertical jump performance of female basketball players during regular season. The intervention group participated in trigger point therapy by utilizing a lacrosse ball to release trigger points in major muscle groups. Both control and intervention groups performed vertical jump testing weekly to measure power output and how fatigue over the competitive season effected the jump heights. The longitudinal study concluded no statistical significance between the control and intervention group vertical jump trends over the year; however, practical significance existed. The control group experienced a gradual decline in jump performance, whereas the intervention group maintained jump height over the course of the season. This research focused on the prevalence of fatigue on athletic performance and introduced a potential method to eliminating decreases in performance over a long competitive season.