Background: Squat exercises are widely used to strengthen the lower limbs and improve functional performance. Proper ankle stability is essential during squatting because ankle joint instability can alter the neuromuscular control of the proximal muscles. Floss-band application has recently been proposed as a method for enhancing joint stability and muscle activation through external compression and proprioceptive stimulation. Objects: To investigate the effects of applying an ankle floss band during squatting on the activity of the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, medial hamstring, and lateral hamstring muscles. Methods: Twenty healthy adult males performed squat exercises under 2 conditions (with and without ankle floss bands) using a single-group crossover design. The squat movements were divided into eccentric, isometric, and concentric phases. Muscle activity was recorded using surface electromyography, normalized to percent of maximal voluntary isometric contraction, and analyzed using two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. Results: Two-way repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of condition, with greater quadriceps and hamstring muscle activity observed in the ankle floss band condition compared with the no-floss condition. Phase-specific analyses further indicated that these differences were most pronounced during the concentric phase. Conclusion: Application of an ankle floss band during squatting exercises effectively enhanced lower limb muscle activity. These findings suggest that ankle flossing may contribute to improved neuromuscular coordination and activation of the lower limb muscles by providing stabilization, and could serve as a useful adjunctive intervention in rehabilitation and training settings.

INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
    1. Study Design
    2. Participants
    3. Floss-Band Application
    4. Squat Exercises
    5. Electromyography
    6. Statistical Analyses
RESULTS
    1. General Characteristics
    2. Changes in Quadriceps Muscle Activity
    3. Changes in Hamstring Muscle Activity
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
FUNDING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
REFERENCES

• Sung-Hyun Kim(Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Silla University, Busan, Korea) Corresponding author