The art of foam rolling.
You’ve seen it.
That person in the corner of the gym with a foam roller busting out some rather creative
positions.
And they seem to really enjoy themselves.
The popularity has grown and I, myself, have dabbled with the art of foam rolling and find
it quite pleasing, albeit painful at times.
But what is the evidence exactly on foam rolling?
Does it actually have any benefit?
First, for those unfamiliar with foam rolling, foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial
release, or SMR for short.
It’s often done with a roller, which comes in different materials and densities, or done
with a rolling stick and dense pressure balls, like a tennis or lacrosse ball.
The goal of SMR and foam rolling is to put pressure on your muscle and fascia, which
is the connective tissue that permeates the muscle.
Doing so might release deformities in the fascia or muscle fibers, release supposed
trigger points, and improve blood flow.
At least, that’s one belief.
There’s been debate about the actual mechanisms of SMR.
Even the definition of trigger points varies greatly from one clinician to another.
It’s also uncertain whether it’s the fascia or the muscle that is the most important target.
And, some people even suggest that it might be neurological responses to pressure receptors
that increases blood flow and reduce stress hormones.
In short, we’re not certain why foam rolling or SMR might work.
Fortunately, the research on the benefits is far less ambivalent.
In fact, the research is quite consistent on certain benefits, such as improved flexibility.
One study found that combining foam rolling with static stretching improved hip range
of motion twice as much as just stretching alone.
Fascinatingly, rolling the bottom of the foot with a tennis ball ended up improving hamstring
flexibility.
Even more astounding was that foam rolling one leg actually benefited ankle mobility
of the opposite leg!
This might be explained by the enveloping nature of fascia, which interconnects throughout
the entire body.
All of these flexibility benefits also come without performance detriments, unlike static
stretching, where it has been shown to hinder performance.
Speaking of performance, unfortunately, as much as it doesn’t hurt performance, foam
rolling doesn’t really help it neither, at least when it comes to foam rolling before
exercise.
One study in 2013 found that SMR did no better than a control in increasing peak power output.
Moreover, a systematic review of 14 different SMR articles came to the conclusion that foam
rolling before exercise simply doesn’t do much for muscle performance.
What it did find, however, was that it might indirectly aid in performance by improving
recovery and soreness.
In two of the articles reviewed, they found that foam rolling after 10 sets of squats
was better able to attenuate muscle soreness over 3 days with subjects having lower levels
of perceived soreness.
On top of that, the articles found the benefit of faster recovery improved vertical jump
height, muscle activation and sprint speeds.
That’s only if foam rolling was done after exercise.
And that’s where the current evidence on foam rolling stands.
100% great for improving mobility, improving soreness, and a hint of improved recovery
with nothing much for improved performance.
Some pointersb, a foam rolling session should last at least 10 to 20 minutes after workout
to improve recovery and soreness.
It’s also best to foam roll at least 10 minutes before exercise to reap acute mobility
benefits.
Make sure to target each muscle at least once for 10 to 20 seconds.
The pressure applied should be moderately forceful, invoking tolerable pain.
A medium density foam roller will work for the majority of people to hit larger muscles
groups like your hamstrings, glutes, and back.
Some people might benefit from denser foam rollers if it’s too difficult to apply enough
pressure with softer ones.
For smaller muscle groups, using a dense ball like a lacrosse ball can be helpful.
Roller sticks can also be useful granted you apply enough force.
If you’re interested, you can check out some of the stuff I use and purchased from
Amazon in the links below.
But there we have it.
The research is in, and so far, foam rolling, or self-myofascial release in general, can
be quite a game changer in the fitness world.
So why not treat yourself to a nice… clean self-massage so you can treat yourself to
some more of that sweet ol gains!
Share your thoughts on foam rolling in the comments below.
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