The Effects Of Foam Rolling On Exercise Induced Muscle Damage

Abstract

Exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD) occurs following strenuous and unaccustomed exercise. EIMD is associated with elevated creatine kinase (CK) blood concentrations, limitations in range of motion (ROM), and cellular swelling. EIMD may negatively affect training quality and performance thus methods to mitigate EIMD may be useful to resistance training populations. Self-myofascial release, in particular foam rolling (FR), has been utilized by competitive and recreational athletes to ameliorate the effects of EIMD. However, the effect of FR on EIMD has yet to be established. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of FR on markers of EIMD after an acute bout of high volume resistance exercise. METHODS: Eight participants (five males and three females), between the ages of 18 and 35, completed two acute resistance exercise bouts (10 sets of 10 repetitions barbell back squat at 60% 1RM) separated by a minimum of seven days. Following one exercise bout, subjects performed FR targeting the thigh (i.e hamstrings and quadriceps), the shank (i.e. calf and tibialis anterior), and the gluteus maximus immediately post, 24, and 48 hours post exercise, while no FR was performed following the alternate bout (CON). In both conditions, participants were asked to refrain from additional recovery methods following exercise. Outcome measures included serum CK, hip ROM, knee ROM, and thigh circumference. All measurements were pre-exercise, immediately post, 24, and 48 hours post. RESULTS: There was a significant increase in serum CK from pre to 24 hours post (p = 0.04), as well as 24 and 48 hours post (p = 0.04). Hip ROM (p = 0.02) and knee ROM (p = 0.03) decreased and thigh circumference (p = 0.03) increased 48 hours post exercise. No significant differences between FR and CON were found for any measures. CONCLUSION: FR does not attenuate markers of muscle damage (i.e. serum CK, hip ROM, knee ROM, and thigh circumference) after an acute bout of high volume resistance training. This study suggests that despite its common practice, FR may not be an effective strategy for mitigating EIMD.