Know Your Tools - Foam Rolling
Today let’s discuss a very popular tool, foam rolling (FR) . Nowadays there’s many self-myofascial devices available. Regular, hard, spiky, odd shaped FR’s, various sporting balls, massage sticks, massage guns and more. On the surface these tools may appear different, yet they all work in a similar matter.
Nowadays it’s common to see people foam rolling before, during or after their workouts.
Why’s this the case? Does it improve performance, range of motion (ROM), recovery or measures of soreness?
According to the research, FR has neither a positive or negative effect on exercise performance. This is positive given that engaging in foam rolling pre workout is unlikely to hinder your exercise performance. Keep in mind that this is with short FR durations. Spending excessive time rolling (10+ minutes) may lead to less overall training volume & general fatigue which could potentially impair training adaptations & performance over the long term.
In regards to ROM, FR appears to have a significant benefit. In one study of 16 males and 8 females where active and passive knee flexion (bending) were tested, they’re was a +7% and +15.4% average change respectively when 3 sets of 60 seconds of quadriceps FR was performed. For individuals who are restricted in certain positions, this may help you obtain better positions during your workouts which may help to prevent injuries and drive performance. What’s interesting to note here is that in this study, 3 different FR pressure conditions were implemented, low, medium and high. It was found that all 3 conditions lead to similar range of motion improvements with the low pressure demonstrating the greatest improvements in passive ROM. Therefore it’s safe to say, only a low to moderate amount of pressure is required to see positive benefits in ROM. You shouldn't be in extreme pain while rolling. In most cases, it's likely counter productive.
It’s still unclear whether or not foam rolling provides any meaningful difference to recovery measures. There was a study that demonstrated decreased soreness 24-72 hours following 10 sets of 10 barbell back squats at 60% of 1 Rep Maximum whereas another study of subjects performing 40 sets of 15 meter sprints had no difference in recovery measures. More research is still needed to determine its efficacy on recovery.
It was originally proposed that foam rolling increased ROM by breaking up fibrous adhesions (muscle knots) , leading to the restoration of soft tissue extensibility and function but this was later proven to be false. Researchers discovered that the amount of force required to break up knots, scar tissue and other restrictions required forces that humans can’t produce.
Since then, many other mechanisms have been suggested.
Firstly, applying pressure to the muscle through FR stimulates mechanoreceptors, specifically interstitial type III and IV. These receptors respond to light touch, which ultimately have influence over the autonomic system. This causes increased parasympathetic tone, which increases gamma motor neuron activity and promotes relaxation of intrafascial muscle cells. Overall the gamma system is responsible for altering anti gravitational extensor based postural muscles and chronic muscle emotional attitudes. Furthermore, the increased parasympathetic tone promotes vasodilation and local fluid dynamics which may influence fascial viscosity, leading to increased range of motion. It’s also been proposed that foam rolling increases blood flow and the temperatures of the massaged tissues, altering the viscoelastic properties of the muscle fascia.
Secondly, FR stimulates the Central Nervous System (CNS), leading to decreased muscle tone, similar to the autonomic system. Specifically, when the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO), located within the tendon of muscle senses excessive tension that may risk damage to the muscle tissue, it becomes stimulated, resulting in decreased muscle tone and muscle spindle activity. This process is referred to as autogenic inhibition, which can occur during foam rolling when stimulation exceeds a specific threshold. Muscle spindles are contained with the muscle belly and monitor the length of muscle. When the muscle spindle detects excessive stretch, it responds by resisting the stretch via contracting, which also can contribute to changes in ROM.
And lastly, it’s been thought that foam rolling influences the central pain modulating systems (CPMS) that are located in the skin. By applying pressure to the CPMS, it may reduce pain sensations which then may lead to an increased stretch tolerance.
These are just a few of the mechanisms proposed, and I expect to see more concrete explanations as new literature emerges.
Overall, the evidence around FR isn’t 100% clear. Most studies cite null changes to performance, increased ranges of motion and minor changes in recovery variables. For most, increased range of motion is a positive benefit in regards to resistance training, as long as one is able to control and produce strength within that newly acquired range of motion. We typically see improved movement quality and decreased risk of injury as a result. A good way to ensure these parameters are met, is to follow up FR with a dynamic warm up where these new ranges are used and the muscles within these ranges are actively contracted.
Given that FR may increase ROM, I typically recommend having my clients spend 1-3 minutes on the biggest movement bottlenecks before we begin their warm up. This includes areas like the calves, lateral hip muscles, rhomboids & traps (just to name a few). If we are limited on time, I will ditch the FR in favor of the dynamic warm up, 99% of the time as this can provide similar benefits to FR and more.
Generally I am opposed to FR during the workout as this time should be spent focusing on training. If something is feeling off during the session, likely manipulating exercise positions will produce greater results. If you are experiencing pain during your movements, it’s probably best to pick a new movement or seek additional help from a physiotherapist.
As the research is still somewhat inconclusive in regards to post workout FR recovery, I leave this up the individual. Personally, I like to perform some light foam rolling immediately post workout while heavily focusing on breathing to help drive my body into a parasympathetic state. Also, I find benefit in spending anywhere from 5 - 20 minutes FR on recovery days in conjunction with other recovery modalities such as walking to help decrease muscle soreness. Again, I leave this up to the individual based on what they like and find benefit from.
To conclude, foam rolling is another great tool to have in your tool chest but it’s not a must have. It’s affordable, practical and easily accessible but like I’ve discussed before, it’s not going to change your life as much as some guru’s like to claim. Often I see people heavily relying on their myofascial devices without considering other more time efficient, effective and important modalities such as going for walks, exposing the body to different positions on a regular basis, and dialing in their sleep, nutrition & water intake. If you have a range of motion bottleneck that will impair your exercise ability for that day, it makes sense to spend an extra 2-5 minutes of your session making some quick changes to tissue tone. Don’t fall in the trap of spending more time foam rolling than actually training. I’ve been certainly guilty of this in the past, and it’s a big waste of time. Let me know if you have any questions. I can be reached at matthew@endurehp.com
