Slow contraction (3 s) + neutral ankle position Slow contraction (3 s) + maximal dorsiflexion Fast contraction (1 s) + neutral ankle position Fast contraction (1 s) + maximal dorsiflexion Achilles tendon myotonometry MyotonPRO contraction speed ankle joint position viscoelastic properties tendon stiffness
Conditions
Interventions
Participants perform single-leg eccentric heel raises at a controlled slow speed (3 s per repetition) from plantarflexion to a neutral ankle position (0 dorsiflexion), with external load equal to 20 p
Slow contraction + Neutral ankle position,Slow contraction + Maximal dorsiflexion,Fast contraction + Neutral ankle position,Fast contraction + Maximal dorsiflexion
Sponsors
Paraskevopoulos Eleftherios
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to 35 Years
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: 1.Healthy, physically active adults aged 18 to 35 years 2.Enrolled in or recruited from a university student population 3.No musculoskeletal injury of the lower limbs within the past 6 months 4.No history of Achilles tendon pathology or surgery 5.Ability to perform single-leg heel raises without pain or limitation 6.Provision of written informed consent
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: 1.History of musculoskeletal injury of the lower limbs within the past 6 months 2.Previous Achilles tendon pathology or surgery 3.Presence of neurological disorders affecting motor function 4.Systemic diseases affecting connective tissue (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes) 5.Use of medications that may influence musculoskeletal function (e.g., muscle relaxants, corticosteroids) 6.Current pain or symptoms in the lower limbs during activity or at rest 7.Inability to perform the exercise protocol safely or correctly
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Achilles tendon stiffness Baseline and immediately post-intervention (within 2 minutes) MyotonPRO (dynamic stiffness, N/m),Achilles tendon frequency Baseline and immediately post-intervention (within 2 minutes) MyotonPRO (oscillation frequency, Hz),Achilles tendon elasticity Baseline and immediately post-intervention (within 2 minutes) MyotonPRO (logarithmic decrement),Achilles tendon relaxation time Baseline and immediately post-intervention (within 2 minutes) MyotonPRO (relaxation time, ms),Achilles tendon creep Baseline and immediately post-intervention (within 2 minutes) MyotonPRO (creep) | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Perceived exertion Immediately post-intervention Borg scale (0 to 10) | — |
Countries
Greece
Contacts
Public ContactEleftherios Paraskevopoulos
National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
Outcome results
None listed