Written by: Gary G. Jimenez; MS, CES, MMACS, PES
What is foam rolling? Foam rolling is considered a self-myofascial release (SMR) which is a technique that involves an individual releasing tension of the fascia by massaging themselves. The individual applies as much pressure from their body weight on a foam roller and begins a sweeping motion that generates friction, thus stretching the tissue. (Button & Behm, 2014) Foam rolling (FR) can be used as warmup and/or cool down depending on what an individual is looking to do. Button & Behm demonstrate the effects foam rolling can have when used as a warm up. Their study shows that FR can increase blood flow in the given area and induce muscle flexibility which temporarily increases range of motion. For example in a study where participants rolled out their quadriceps and hamstrings, there was a significant increase.
The researcher saw knee range of motion (ROM) increase by 12.7% when rolling out the quads. When rolling their hamstrings, there was an improve in flexibility increase by 4.3% when performing a sit & reach test. (2014) Next, when used as a cool down Wiewelhove, et.al states that FR accelerates recovery and reduces muscle soreness post workout. (2019) What we see is that FR can help in a lot of ways either pre or post workout, so it is important to include it in your workout program.
Why should I include foam rolling in my workout routine? As demonstrated in the beginning FR can help warm up or cool down an individual, but beside that there is research showing that FR can enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury. In Button & Behm study we are shown that significant individuals who do not know how to properly stretch their muscles can create muscular imbalances. These imbalances can lead to impairment, poor performance and eventually injury. The reason why these researchers state individuals do not know how to stretch is because of pain tolerance. As we stretch, we reach a point of discomfort which prevents us from reaching our limit, therefore can leave impairment around the body.
(2014) For example a person can stretch their right leg all the way to their end point, meanwhile on the left leg they don’t. The discomfort from the left leg prevents one from fully stretching and leaving both the legs impaired. That is why FR in an alternative way to avoid such discrepancies, because when one rolls their muscle they begin to relax by sending signals to their central nervous system. These signals are sent and allow an individual to roll without dealing with discomfort, preventing impairment. (Button & Behm, 2014) This allows individuals to stretch and warm up their muscle equally.
After an individual performs an intense workout, they eventually begin to feel sore and slowly the soreness gets worse and worse. This process is called delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which takes place between 24 to 72 hour post workout. Pearcey, et.al characterizes DOMS as a grade one muscle strain, which is why individuals feel intense pain after a workout sessions. This process leads to muscle fatigue, decrease in
performance and muscular impairment. If this is not treated properly it can enhance the muscle strain into a high grade one strain or a grade two strain. (2015) Once the soreness begins to subside, the body starts to repair itself and develops scar tissue. The scar tissue is an adhesive substance that repairs the microtears created after the workout and allows the body to heal. At times some of the scar tissue can still be present around the body, which can lead to discomfort and decrease in both ROM and performance. (Healey, et.al 2011) Even after soreness subsides, the body still has to get rid of the scar tissue that developed around the microtears, which is why FR is one of the most reliable methods to help decrease the duration of DOMS and break up the unwanted scar tissue.
Lastly, in Pearcey, et.al study we find that FR enhanced recovery in a variety of ways. The way FR allows the body to recover is as follows: decreasing edema (inflammation), enhances blood lactate removal & tissue healing, and encourages mitochondrial resynthesis of ATP by oxygen delivery.
(2015) In conclusion,
foam rolling is a very useful modality in the world of fitness. If you exactly do not know how to warm or cool or have very limited time, foam rolling is an alternative method to get the job done. Foam rolling is also another way to massage yourself without spending so much money at the spa, and you can take it anywhere you want! Besides getting such a great massage one can benefit from rolling, such as: improving flexibility, enhancing performance, reducing muscle soreness and reducing the risk of injury.
References:
Button, D. C., & Behm, D. G. (2014, April). Foam rolling: Early study findings suggest benefits | Lower Extremity Review Magazine. Ler Magazine. https://lermagazine.com/article/foam-rolling-early-study-findings-suggest-benefits Healey, K., Dorfman, L., Riebe, D., Blanpied, P., & Hatfield, D. (2011b). The Effects of Foam Rolling on Myofascial Release and Performance. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25, S30–S31. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.jsc.0000395625.08079.28 Pearcey, G. E. P., Bradbury-Squires, D. J., Kawamoto, J. E., Drinkwater, E. J., Behm, D. G., & Button, D. C. (2015b). Foam Rolling for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness and Recovery of Dynamic Performance Measures. Journal of Athletic Training, 50(1), 5–13. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-50.1.01 Wiewelhove, T., Döweling, A., Schneider, C., Hottenrott, L., Meyer, T., Kellmann, M., Pfeiffer, M., & Ferrauti, A. (2019b). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foam Rolling on Performance and Recovery. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.00376
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