It should be! So, I have to confess,
I have a new lasting relationship over the last few years, and it’s not with
any human being; it’s with my foam roller. So, before I was going to write to
all of you to tell you how great it is, I thought I should do some
evidence-based medicine, and see what’s out there on the subject. But let’s
start simple:
Are you new to this “fad” in
training and conditioning? Don’t worry. That’s why I’m writing this blog! J It’s becoming more of a growing accessory to training. Somatic
dysfunction can cause pain and restriction of motion. When you train intensely
or when you work muscles that have not been used in a while (it happens, right,
when we’re trying to get back into working out and then all the sudden the next
day or the day afterward you wonder why you thought that it was such a good
idea to start back with a full body lift at the weights you had done 6 months
ago when you were training consistently), you end up with tighter muscles.
The
overlying soft tissue component that encases the muscles in your body is
surrounded by fascia, connective tissue that supports your muscles. It’s
awesome stuff, but it can get a little angry at you when there is inflammation.
So there’s a form of soft tissue therapy that people are now using (and some
would argue that it has existed in a certain form since the invention of
massage techniques—whenever that was) to treat somatic dysfunction and prevent
pain and restriction of motion.
Passive myofascial techniques
include techniques when the patient stays completely relaxed. This would be if
someone else is providing the myofascial pressure—this can be done with
pressure points, with connective tissue massage, etc. On the other hand, active myofascial
techniques include techniques when the patient provides resistance as
necessary, so foam rolling, active release therapy (ART), and strain-counterstrain
techniques would fall under this category.
How does it work?
A study out of Japan that was
published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning earlier this year showed
that self myofascial release techniques using a foam roller actually reduce
arterial stiffness and improve vascular endothelial function. And what muscles
need in order to perform at their best and also recover at their best is blood
flow with adequate endothelial function to deliver nutrients and remove toxic
chemicals. Amazing stuff!
So, do studies support that this stuff really works?
Myofascial release is something that
entered the world of medicine through osteopathic medicine and complementary or
alternative medicine (one could argue that acupuncture is even a varied form of
this) and has now become the new trend in sports training over the last 10
years. But what studies have been done to support its use for athletes and the
every-day healthful exerciser?
Guess what? Not a lot is very
conclusive! In 2013, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning did a study on
foam rolling and performance. They found no significant effect of foam rolling
on actual performance of athletic maneuvers in comparison with the control
group. However, they did find that post-exercise fatigue after foam rolling was
significantly less than after the control group. The conclusion they came to
was that the reduced feeling of fatigue when using foam rolling may allow
athletes to extend acute workout time and volume, which can lead to chronic
performance enhancement. So it hasn’t exactly been proven in the literature.
What do I think?
I think it’s awesome. I didn’t get
it into until I started triathlon and realized that biking hard one day and
running hard the next was giving me crazy knots in my quads. Foam rolling saved
me. And then I started training smarter, got some better training plans in
terms of coordinating workouts effectively, and I still realized that a foam
roller either at the end of the day with stretching or pre-workout really
helped maximize my ability to achieve the results that I wanted. It makes me
wonder, what if we had known about this when we were playing college basketball
back in the day?
The stuff that’s out there on the
market:
Foam roller
The stick
How to use it:
Limit your foam rolling or whatever
your chosen technique is to 30 seconds on each muscle, especially if you’re
using an injured one. It’s like stretching in that regard; you don’t want to
overdo it. The stick is good but doesn’t work for gluts and back unless you
have a very loving training partner who’s willing to help you out. You can
reach almost every muscle of interest with your foam roller, and you can use
your body to help add the amount of pressure that you can tolerate.
Your IT bands and whatever other
area of interest will scream bloody murder at you while you’re rolling, but
later on, trust me, your body will thank you and give you the present of
happier muscles and a stronger workout or competition, whatever you’re going
for. I would argue that myofascial release has become the new ballistic
stretching pre-workout, and I have to say, when part of a dynamic warm-up, it
can’t be beat. It’s also a great addition to your agility workouts and to your
flexibility routine if you have one (and you should).
For more ways to warm-up, cool-down,
and stay fit in between, ask your trainer, ask your coach, ask my husband. ;)
But that’s the science and the anecdotal evidence, folks. My advice? Just try
it, and see how you feel! J
References:
Healey KC, Hatfield DL, et al. “The
Effects of Myofascial Release with Foam Rolling on Performance.” J Strength
Cond Res 2013 Apr 12.
Okamoto T, Masuhara M, Ikuta K.
“Acute Effects of Self-Myofascial Release Using a Foam Roller on Arterial Function.
J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Apr 9.
Lin MT, Chou LW, et al.
“Percutaneous soft tissue release for treating chronic recurrent myofascial
pain associated with lateral epicondylitis: 6 case studies.” Evid Based
Complement Alternat Med. 2012 Dec 2.
Roach S, Sorenson E, et al.
“Prevalence of myofascial trigger points in the hip in patellofemoral pain.”
Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2013 Mar;94(3): 522-6.
