FOAM ROLLING: Benefits, Mechanism and recommendations

FOAM ROLLING: BENEFITS, MECHANISM AND RECOMMENDATIONS

10/29/2020

Written by: Victoria Khounborinh
Foam rolling has become an increasingly popular practice among fitness enthusiasts and athletes. This may be due to its easy and cost-efficient applicability (as it requires the use of one’s own body weight and a type of foam roller); as well as its similarity to massage which is presumed to enhance performance and recovery.

Despite limited (and conflicting) evidence, the presumed benefits of foam rolling include stretching muscles and tendons; breaking down soft tissue adhesions and scar tissue; and soothing tight fascia to increase blood flow and circulation.

What is Foam Rolling?

Foam rolling is a form of self-massage, or self-manual therapy, that utilizes a foam rolling device to roll and compress a targeted muscle or muscle group. Individuals use their own bodyweight to apply pressure to the soft tissues, stretching and generating friction between it and the foam roller, through a rolling motion.

Three main reasons why this form of self-manual therapy is used:

Increases flexibility
Decreases the delayed onset of muscular soreness (DOMS) and enhances recovery
Improves short-term athletic performance

There is some research to support the effectiveness of foam rolling in regard to enhancing athletic performance. Foam rolling is commonly used during the warm-up and cool-down of an exercise routine either to prepare the athlete for their workout and attempt to promote recovery (i.e., reducing the effects of DOMS).

There are proposed mechanisms as to how foam rolling could work, ranging from mechanical, physiological, and neurological processes.

Mechanical mechanisms

There are proposed mechanical mechanisms (physical alterations) that occur through foam rolling. Some common mechanical-related theories include:

Reduces adhesions: breaking up scar tissue
Alteres tissue stiffness (i.e., soft tissue work): making a muscle softer through physical force
Thixotropic responses: making tissues more fluid like (or less viscous)
Rehydration: physical force altering water content of tissue
Trigger points: breaking up fibrous muscle knots

Neurological and Physiological Mechanisms

Some believe foam rolling works purely due to the nervous system rather than physical alterations occurring. This proposed mechanism states that the brain regulates all the effects by neurologically pulling the brakes off a muscle and allowing it to move smoother.

Thus, it reduces the sensation of pain and allows your muscles to tolerate greater ranges of motion (i.e., it increases your stretching threshold). In addition, some people also think the nervous system helps to release muscle knots or trigger points.

Physiological and neurological mechanisms are closely tied together; common theories include:

Increases parasympathetic activity: “rest and digest” part of the nervous system where a calm and relaxed feeling is produced in the mind and body
Inflammatory responses: reduces inflammation, as well as potentially releasing muscle knots
Increases blood flow

The Effects of Foam Rolling

Although the effects of foam rolling have been mixed, empirical evidence has begun to expand to identify the true impacts of foam rolling.

Foam Rolling and Flexibility
Many studies have been conducted on the effects of foam rolling on flexibility. It has been shown that foam rolling does improve some flexibility, but the improvement is only short-term (e.g., lasting up to 10-minutes). It has also been demonstrated that foam rolling can increase joint range of motion and muscle flexibility without hindering performance.

However, when done on a regular basis, foam rolling has been shown to improve long-term flexibility. This may be because your body gets used to moving through the new ranges of motion that you’ve unlocked.

Foam Rolling and Recovery
One of the main reasons why foam rolling is used is to speed-up the recovery process post-exercise thereby, reducing the effects of DOMS. There is little evidence on foam rolling to influence the speed of recovery from physical activity. Individuals may perceive themselves to be less sore or fatigued, but it is suggested that actual performance recovery is not enhanced.

There have been some studies that have demonstrated that foam rolling can reduce the sensation of DOMS following exercise. Therefore, the ability of foam rolling to reduce the sensations of DOMS following exercise may serve as a valuable tool for athletes – particularly during strenuous training and competition periods

Foam Rolling and Performance
Foam rolling has commonly been used during a warm-up routine. There is no concrete research to support that foam rolling can improve overall performance, but it may enhance subsequent power, agility, strength, and speed when used in conjunction with a dynamic warm-up. Nonetheless, foam rolling has repeatedly shown to have no negative impact on athletic performance. As such, perhaps combining foam rolling to a general warm-up routine may be worthwhile.

Tips for Using a Foam Roller

Using a foam roller is simple but working specific areas may take a bit of practice: it's helpful to try a variety of positions and see what works best for you. Start by finding a relatively open area (i.e., open floor space). Then, position your body so that the area you want to work is on top of the foam roller.

Your body weight creates the pressure that massages and so, you can control the pressure by applying more or less body weight on the foam roller; as well as, using your hands and feet to offset your weight.

Some tips include:

Use a foam roller when your muscles are warm (e.g., after a warm-up or workout)
Position the roller under the soft tissue area you want to release or loosen
Gently roll your body weight back and forth across the roller while targeting the affected muscle
Move slowly and work from the center of the body out toward your extremities.
If you find a particularly painful area or trigger point, hold that position until the area softens
Focus on areas that have a reduced range of motion
Roll over each area a few times until you feel it relax; there may be some discomfort, but it should not be incredibly painful (adjusting the pressure on the area may relieve some tenderness)
Stay on soft tissue and avoid rolling directly over bone or joints
Foam roller sessions do not to be long, especially if you’re just starting out
Drink plenty of water after a session, just as you would after a sports massage
After a few weeks, you can increase your session time and frequency if needed
Always check with a medical practitioner before using a foam roller especially if you have any heart or vascular illness or a chronic pain condition

Common Foam Rolling Exercises

Glutes and Hamstrings
Start by sitting on the roller with your buttock directly on top of the roller. Slowly begin rolling back and forth, moving down your leg from the buttock toward your knee; while pausing on any sore/tight spots. Slightly side to side to release any tight spots in the muscle. Furthermore, change your position from side to side to work the entire muscle.

You can increase or decrease pressure by using one or both legs at a time and turn your feet in and out to cover the entire muscle group.

Quadriceps muscle
Simply start by laying on top of the roller using your hands for balance and work the front of the thigh from the hip down to the knee; also pausing on any tight/sore spots.

You can perform this exercise with one or both legs on the roller to increase or decrease pressure. If you want less pressure, keep one leg off the roller and use the foot to support some of your body weight.

Calves
Position the roller under the calves. Using your hands for support, slowly roll from the knee down to the ankle pausing on any tight or sore spots. Roll with your feet turned in and out and keep toes flexed and pointed to work for the entire muscle group.

Increase or decrease pressure by using one or both legs at a time or placing one leg on the other for even more pressure.

IT Band
Lie on the roller on your side with the roller just below the hip. Your top leg can be in line with the bottom leg if you want to increase pressure. Or, bend it in front of you to unload some of your body weight and provide better balance (i.e., decrease pressure).

Use your hands for support and roll from the hip down to your knee, pausing on any tight or sore spots. Then, repeat on the other side.

Upper Back
Use a foam roller to massage the muscles of the upper back (e.g., the trapezius and rhomboids) by positioning the foam roller beneath your shoulder blades. Support your head with your hands and keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Use your feet to control your motion and pressure and start rolling toward your head, pausing on any tight/sore spots. Roll back down to the mid-back and repeat.

Closing Thoughts

In conclusion, foam rolling has become increasingly popular due to its perceived range of benefits. Foam rolling can be done as part of warm up or cool-down and does not negatively impact performance; it can improve some range of motion (short-term and long-term); decrease the effects of DOMS but does not actually speed up recovery; and may aid in releasing tight knots or sore spots in muscles.

No optimal sets/reps/durations have yet to be identified for foam rolling. In addition, the amount and duration of foam rolling may differ between individuals. It is best to speak with a doctor before partaking in any foam rolling sessions. But some suggested recommendations include: