Immediate effect of dynamic stretching with and without floss band on hamstring flexibility in futsal players: A pilot study

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the immediate impact of dynamic stretching with and without floss band on hamstring flexibility in futsal players. Methods: Fifty-four players were included and randomly divided into tissue flossing and non-tissue flossing groups. Both groups performed dynamic stretching of the hamstring muscle, three sets of 15 repetitions. Active knee extension (AKE), straight leg raise (SLR), and sit-and-reach tests were conducted before and after the intervention. Blood samples were also drawn pre- and post-intervention to determine serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) for recording muscle damage. Results: On comparing the results of both groups, the tissue flossing group had significantly increased scores (left leg P = 0.005, right leg P = 0.007) for the AKE and sit-and-reach tests ( P = 0.017). The two groups had no significant SLR, CK, or LDH disparity ( P > 0.05). On the other hand, within-group comparisons showed a significant disparity ( P < 0.05) between all variables in both groups. Conclusion: The present study revealed that dynamic stretching with and without a floss band improved hamstring flexibility by increasing AKE, SLR, and sit-and-reach tests; however, results were significantly improved with a floss band. Compared to dynamic stretching without flossing, flossing resulted in better improvement of AKE and sit-and-reach test scores, while serum CK and LDH remained the same for both groups.