A better Way To think about foam rolling
Have you ever wondered why we roll around on the ground before or after a workout? Is it just a fad? Does it have any purpose? This post aims to cover those topics and more in an effort to give you a new perspective on this recovery modality. Whatever you take away from this post, remember this; keep doing the things that make YOU feel better, move better, and train harder. There are people out there who hate stretching, and there are people that love it. There are people who swear by foam rolling and yet others who claim it does absolutely nothing. I hope to shed some new light on this topic and perhaps change the way we approach foam rolling in the future.
The science behind foam rolling is still a gray area. There have been many studies done to try and measure its effectiveness on delayed onset muscle soreness as well as its role in combating soft tissue adhesions, but so far, the data seems to be inconclusive. To that end, we need to re-frame the way we think about foam rolling. Instead of looking at it from a physiological perspective, let’s try looking at it from a neurological perspective. Instead of trying to crush our muscles into the roller in the vain hope that we will somehow decrease soreness by altering the muscle fiber make-up, how about we try using the tools that our body already has in place!
The Science
Our muscles and fascia (the tissue surrounding all muscles and organs in the body) have millions of mechanoreceptors. Mechanoreceptors in the human body respond to mechanical stimuli such as touch or any other change in pressure. Within this class of mechanoreceptors, there are four major types. The golgi tendon organ (or GTO,) ruffini endings, pacinian corpuscles, and interstitial fibers. The GTO’s help to regulate tissue tone while the ruffini endings and pacinian corpuscles are largely responsible for tissue excitation and inhibition. The interstitial fibers are responsible for pain relief and the feeling of well-being. Of important note here, is that different changes in pressure activate different mechanoreceptors. Pacinian corpuscles respond to rapid, oscillating changes in pressure, while ruffini endings respond to slow, passive pressure changes. Interstitial fibers are activated with light, gentle pressure. Here is what all that means:
Medium pressure, with faster rolling will “activate” the surrounding tissues and heighten the proprioceptive awareness of that area. This is great for pre-workout and training.
Deep/hard pressure, with very slow rolling will (ideally) down-regulate the surrounding tissues and decrease muscle tone, i.e. tightness. This is perfect for post-workout/training and for overall soreness.
Soft, gentle pressure with slow-to-medium speed rolling will decrease arousal level of the tissue and activate the parasympathetic response. This is ideal for post-workout/training and recovery days.
Try Something New
There are so many types of foam rollers out there, all claiming to do different things that will help you gain an edge in the recovery game. To get started, I always recommend purchasing two simple foam rollers, one that is hard and sturdy, and one that is a bit softer and more pliable. The reason is that while different parts of your body require different amounts of force to reach the areas that you want to target, some areas may only require a light touch. This is most evident on days when you are at peak soreness levels and the harder foam roller might just be too much. Because we now know that we can affect tissue tone by changing the input of information to the brain thus altering its response via activation of the nervous system, we can apply these principles to our foam rolling routines. Below is a suggested method of how and when to incorporate these new techniques into your training and recovery sessions.
Pre-workout
10-20 rolls per muscle group using medium pressure and a fast-rolling action
Post-workout
3-5 long, drawn-out rolls using deep pressure. Each roll should last anywhere from 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Recovery/pain modulation
20-30 rolls per muscle group using a light, gentle pressure and a medium-slow rolling action
It is also important to forget about the phrase “no pain, no gain.” Pain will only increase muscle fiber tension and have the reverse effect of what we want, so feel free to rejoice! The days of painfully smashing your muscles with the foam roller are gone!
I hope you can try these new techniques and will start working them into your recovery/training routines. Feel free to try your own experiment and see how your muscles feel with your traditional foam rolling vs. these new techniques. Maybe you find that you prefer the old ways and that is totally fine! As a coach, I operate under the mantra “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” so I always recommend sticking with what works. In the meantime, keep getting stronger, faster, and train hard.
References
Schleip, Robert. (2017). FASCIA AS A SENSORY ORGAN: Clinical Applications. Terra rosa e-mag. 20. 2-7.
Wiewelhove, Thimo et al. “A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foam Rolling on Performance and Recovery.” Frontiers in physiology vol. 10 376. 9 Apr. 2019, doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00376
Disclaimer: The information contained in these topics is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, it is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information. Always consult with a qualified and licensed physician or other medical care provider, and follow their advice without delay regardless of anything read on this blog. Talk with your healthcare provider about any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Nothing contained in these topics is intended to be used for medical diagnosis or treatment.
