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Journals / Herkes için Spor ve Rekreasyon Dergisi / 2026 / Volume: 8 Issue: 3

Associations of Achilles Tendon and Plantar Fascia Viscoelastic Properties with Jumping Kinetics in Athletes

Sporcularda Aşil Tendonu ve Plantar Fasyanın Viskoelastik Özellikleri ile Sıçrama Kinetiği Arasındaki İlişki

Şevval Özkan(MARMARA UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SCIENCES)0009-0003-5614-6164
Nejla Gerçek(MARMARA ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SPOR BİLİMLERİ FAKÜLTESİ)0000-0003-1024-4394
Ömer İlhan(MARMARA UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCES)0009-0003-4849-517X
Havva Burçe Göçmez(MARMARA UNIVERSITY, INSTITUTE OF HEALTH SCIENCES)0000-0001-9930-1281
Yaşar Tatar(MARMARA UNIVERSITY, FACULTY OF SPORTS SCIENCES)0000-0000-0000-0000
Pages
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Publication Date
2026-09-30
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

This pattern suggests that AT and PF properties may contribute more specifically to force transmission and rapid force development than to uniformly determine overall jumping performance.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Background: The Achilles tendon (AT) and plantar fascia (PF) play a central role in force transmission and elastic energy management during jumping.
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Key Findings & Data:Methods: Twenty-four athletes (13 men, 11 women; aged 18–25 years) competing in volleyball or basketball were included.
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Conclusion & Impact:This pattern suggests that AT and PF properties may contribute more specifically to force transmission and rapid force development than to uniformly determine overall jumping performance.
🔬Design:Research Article
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:Myotonometry · rate of force development · force platform

Abstract

Background: The Achilles tendon (AT) and plantar fascia (PF) play a central role in force transmission and elastic energy management during jumping. However, the relationships between their viscoelastic properties and the kinetic components of jumping are not well established. This study investigated the associations between AT and PF viscoelastic properties, foot characteristics, anthropometric variables, and jumping kinetics in athletes. Methods: Twenty-four athletes (13 men, 11 women; aged 18–25 years) competing in volleyball or basketball were included. AT and PF viscoelastic properties were assessed in relaxed and tensioned conditions using a handheld myotonometer. Participants performed right-leg unilateral and left-leg unilateral countermovement jumps (CMJ) and squat jumps (SJ) on a force platform. Concentric peak force, eccentric and concentric peak rate of force development (RFD), landing peak force, and landing peak RFD were calculated. Pearson correlation analyses were performed to examine the associations between tissue properties, anthropometric characteristics, and jumping kinetics. Results: During the right-leg unilateral CMJ, relaxed AT stiffness was positively associated with landing peak force (r = .468, p = .021) and landing peak RFD (r = .408, p = .048), whereas tensioned AT stiffness was positively associated with concentric peak RFD (r = .484, p = .017). PF decrement was negatively associated with concentric peak RFD (r = −.770, p < .001), while relaxed PF stiffness was positively associated with eccentric peak RFD (r = .425, p = .038). During the left-leg unilateral SJ, tensioned AT stiffness was negatively associated with concentric peak force (r = −.439, p = .036) and concentric peak RFD (r = −.451, p = .031). No significant associations between tissue properties and jumping kinetics were observed during the left-leg unilateral CMJ. Conclusion: AT and PF viscoelastic properties were associated with selected force and RFD-related variables, but these associations varied according to the tissue condition, extremity, and jump protocol. This pattern suggests that AT and PF properties may contribute more specifically to force transmission and rapid force development than to uniformly determine overall jumping performance.

Özet

Amaç: Aşil tendonu (AT) ve plantar fasya (PF), sıçrama sırasında kuvvet iletimi ve elastik enerji yönetiminde merkezi bir rol oynar. Bununla birlikte, bu yapıların viskoelastik özellikleri ile sıçramanın kinetik bileşenleri arasındaki ilişkiler henüz tam olarak ortaya konmamıştır. Bu çalışmada sporcularda AT ve PF’nin viskoelastik özellikleri, ayak özellikleri, antropometrik değişkenler ve sıçrama kinetiği arasındaki ilişkiler incelenmiştir. Yöntem: Voleybol veya basketbol oynayan 24 sporcu (13 erkek, 11 kadın; yaş aralığı: 18–25 yıl) çalışmaya dâhil edilmiştir. AT ve PF’nin viskoelastik özellikleri, gevşek ve gergin pozisyonda miyotonometre kullanılarak değerlendirilmiştir. Katılımcılar, kuvvet platformu üzerinde sağ ve sol bacakla tek bacaklı countermovement jump (CMJ) ve squat jump (SJ) testlerini gerçekleştirmiştir. Konsantrik tepe kuvvet, eksantrik ve konsantrik tepe kuvvet gelişim hızı (RFD), iniş tepe kuvveti ve iniş tepe RFD değerleri hesaplanmıştır. Doku özellikleri, antropometrik özellikler ve sıçrama kinetiği arasındaki ilişkileri incelemek amacıyla Pearson korelasyon analizleri yapılmıştır. Bulgular: Sağ bacakla gerçekleştirilen tek bacaklı CMJ sırasında, gevşek durumdaki AT sertliği ile iniş tepe kuvveti (r = .468, p = .021) ve iniş tepe RFD (r = .408, p = .048) arasında pozitif ilişkiler bulunurken, gerilim altındaki AT sertliği ile konsantrik tepe RFD arasında pozitif ilişki saptanmıştır (r = .484, p = .017). PF decrement değeri konsantrik tepe RFD ile negatif yönde ilişkiliyken (r = −.770, p < .001), gevşek durumdaki PF sertliği eksantrik tepe RFD ile pozitif yönde ilişkili bulunmuştur (r = .425, p = .038). Sol bacakla gerçekleştirilen tek bacaklı SJ sırasında, gerilim altındaki AT sertliği ile konsantrik tepe kuvvet (r = −.439, p = .036) ve konsantrik tepe RFD (r = −.451, p = .031) arasında negatif ilişkiler saptanmıştır. Sol bacakla gerçekleştirilen tek bacaklı CMJ sırasında doku özellikleri ile sıçrama kinetiği arasında anlamlı bir ilişki gözlenmemiştir. Sonuç: AT ve PF’nin viskoelastik özellikleri, kuvvet ve RFD ile ilişkili belirli değişkenlerle ilişkili bulunmuştur; ancak bu ilişkiler dokunun değerlendirme koşuluna, ekstremiteye ve sıçrama protokolüne göre değişiklik göstermiştir. Bu patern, AT ve PF özelliklerinin genel sıçrama performansını tutarlı biçimde belirlemekten ziyade, kuvvet iletimi ve hızlı kuvvet gelişimine özgü katkı sağlayabileceğini düşündürmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Özkan, Ş., Gerçek, N., İlhan, Ö., Göçmez, H. B., Tatar, Y. (2026). Associations of Achilles Tendon and Plantar Fascia Viscoelastic Properties with Jumping Kinetics in Athletes. Herkes için Spor ve Rekreasyon Dergisi, Volume: 8 Issue: 3. https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.2013765

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