Do you even know what it is? A foam roller is a popular tool that is commonly found in training centres and gyms. Many recreational fitness enthusiasts and novice athletes believe that foam rolling can increase performance, however, the majority of research shows that that may not be the case. According to a recent review of various studies on foam rolling by S. Hendricks et al, foam rolling was found to be a useful tool to compliment other warm up and recovery techniques.
Contrary to popular belief, foam rolling does not enhance performance and if you foam roll during exercise or during a workout, it can actually decrease your ability to produce force i.
This is an important concept to take note of, because it indicates that foam rolling is best used only for certain stages of training, and not others. Foam rolling may actually be beneficial to use in a warm-up, a cool down or a recovery session Hendricks et al.
The systematic review revealed the following:. This can be important for a Judoka or those in combat sports as these athletes commonly find themselves in extreme joint positions. This can prove helpful for any athlete who trains 6 days a week, and sometimes twice a day, as they be able to return to baseline performance sooner. When it comes to warming up, static stretching has been shown to have a negative impact on performance Behara and Jacobson, ; Healey et al.
However, foam rolling should not form the sole basis of a warm-up program, because dynamic stretching has been shown to increase athletic test performance on its own Jones et al. Personally, I use a foam roller on athletes when I know they have a specific movement problem. To improve their movement, they will roll a few specific muscles in the warm-up. The majority of research recommended to slowly foam roll an area for 30 to 60 seconds, for sets times. It was also recommended to rest from rolling the same area for seconds.
