Optimizing Recovery: Foam Rolling (Part I)

Credit: Getty

Recovery, the cornerstone of athletic performance, should be at the forefront of every athlete's mind. Recovery allows our muscles to repair, rebuild, and adapt. In this blog series, we will delve into the various recovery tools and determine which methods are worth your time and money and which are BS. This series aims to empower you with the knowledge of how to optimize your recovery from training or climbing sessions.

The world of sports is rife with pseudoscience, a breeding ground for dubious claims and practices. You've probably come across the athlete who swears by their lucky pair of socks, the one who religiously takes an ice bath every day, or the one endorsing muscle scraping on social media. These are just a few instances of athletes resorting to questionable tools and tactics, often driven by personal gain.

This series will explore the following in stand-alone, short and digestible blogs:

• Foam Rolling

• Cold and Heat Therapy

• Massages

• Active Recovery

• Muscle Scraping

• Stretching

• The Building Blocks

What are foam rollers?

Foam rollers are cylindrical implements that vary in size and texture. They can be found in big or small sizes; some are smooth, while others are bumpy.

Denser foam rollers allow you to apply more pressure to the target muscle, while softer foam rollers have the opposite effect. Smoother foam rollers let you apply even pressure, while foam rollers with ridges and knobs mimic the hands of a masseuse. Thinner foam rollers or massage balls allow you to target smaller areas, such as the arches of your feet.

Credit: REI

How does foam rolling work?

The most common use of foam rollers is massaging sore or tight muscles to reduce soreness, correct muscle imbalances, relax the muscles and enhance the joint range of motion. 

The Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO) and Muscle Spindles are stretch receptors that monitor the state of the muscle and return the information to the central nervous system. Autogenic inhibition is the supposed mechanism behind foam rolling (FR). The response occurs when a muscle is placed under tension, and the GTO sends a signal to the muscle spindles to allow it to lengthen. In other words, the pressure of the foam roller against the body causes the Golgi Tendon Organs (GTOs) to “turn off” muscle spindle activity, allowing the muscle fibres to relax and stretch out.

The research suggests pre-exercise FR may offer small short-term benefits in promoting flexibility without negatively affecting muscle performance. Therefore, if you feel stiff and find that impacts your session, foam rolling could be a useful tool to include in your warm-up routine. 

The largest average effects of post-exercise FR were found to alleviate perceived muscle pain. One theory behind why FR can alleviate muscular pain could be that applying pressure to a tender muscle group leads to an acute increase in pain, which can increase our tolerance to the initial soreness.

A common FR misconception is that it can be used to break up scar tissue, leading to decreased pain and increased mobility. Unfortunately, this is not the case. A study examined the force required to “break up scar tissue,” which was around 10,000 -30,000 psi (lbs per square inch). To break up scar tissue, you would need to apply the force equivalent to the weight of an elephant.

Studies on FR need to be more consistent and standardized. Most are performed on different muscle groups, meaning the study’s results may only pertain to a certain group of muscles and not others. There are also differences in the amount of pressure applied against the muscles, which most likely affects the outcome.

How To Foam Roll

• Ideally, use a foam roller before or after exercise.

• For best results, foam roll the right/sore muscle group or area for 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Only roll out areas of the body that are dense with muscle tissue. Never use a foam roller over your bones, joints, or lower back.

• You want to apply the foam roller to the tight/sore area until you notice a positive change. Feeling discomfort and soreness while foam rolling is normal, but it should not be excruciating.

• There are two different techniques for foam rolling, both of which are effective

  • Option #1: Roll up and down on the area.

  • Option #2: Place and hold the foam roller on one spot.

Foam Rolling Our “Climbing Muscles”

1. The Lats

1. We do a lot of pulling in climbing and use our lats quite a bit. Start by laying down on your side, then roll the FR up and down your side to stretch out the lats. Your lat muscles stretch from right below your shoulder to your lower back.

2. The Hip Flexors

1. Climbs often require us to get our feet up high or pull on an intense heel hook, which can lead to tight hip flexors. In a prone position with your elbows facing the ground to support your body and help you move, roll the FR below your belly button to your hip bones to stretch out the hip flexors.

3. The Calves

1. Our calves can take quite the beating during a climbing session. We constantly land on the mats with force, stand on tiny footholds with our tiptoes, and pull on heel and toe hooks. To stretch out the calves, get seated with your legs extended in front of you. Place one leg over the other to get more pressure on the calf you wish to target for a greater release. Roll from just below your knee joint to the top of the Achilles. Roll to both sides to relieve both heads of the calf muscles.

4. The Hamstrings

1. Our hamstrings are the prime mover during a heel hook, and I don’t know about you, but I love my heel hooks! To stretch out the hamstrings, get seated with your legs extended in front of you. Place one leg over the other to get more pressure on the hamstring you wish to target for a greater release. Roll from just below your sit bone to just above the knee joint.

5. Thoracic Extension

1. Most people spend most of their day hunched over at a desk, and there’s nothing wrong with that, but it can lead to decreased thoracic (upper-back) mobility. If you are experiencing lower back, neck, or shoulder pain, it could be due to a lack of mobility in the mid and upper back. Many climbers have rounded backs because they don't retract their scapulas when they climb. Working on improving thoracic spine mobility can help improve posture, reduce pain and help combat the adverse health effects of spending long hours of the day sitting. To stretch out your thoracic spine with a foam roller, support your neck with your arms while bringing your elbows in line with your ears. Keep your bum on the ground with your knees bent to protect your lower back. For this exercise, the foam roller stays put.

Conclusion

Are foam rollers BS? No! Although studies on FR are scarce, there is some solid evidence to show that FR can provide some benefit. I don’t use foam rollers often, but when I feel sore and tight in a specific spot, I’ll use the FR, which helps decrease the pain. I recommend experimenting and seeing how FR makes you feel (and this goes for any exercise). Foam rolling will probably not be a game-changer, but there is evidence that it makes a small difference and won’t cause any harm, so it could be worth trying.

References

1. Active Health KC. "What Does Foam Rolling Actually Do?" Active Health KC, activehealthkc.com/what-does-foam-rolling-actually-do/#:~:text=Basically%2C%20using%20a%20foam%20roller,be%20stimulated%20in%20different%20ways. Accessed 24 April 2024.

2. National Center for Biotechnology Information. "The Effect of Foam Rolling Duration on Hamstring Range of Motion." PubMed Central (PMC), 11 Apr. 2019, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6465761/.

3. Lillis, Charlotte. "Foam Roller Benefits for Tight Muscles, Exercise, and More." Healthline, Healthline Media, 15 Aug. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/foam-roller-benefits#getting-started.

4. Stride Physiotherapy. "How to Use Your Foam Roller: Top 10 Exercises." Stride Physiotherapy, www.stridephysiotherapy.ca/how-to-use-your-foam-roller-top-10-exercises/.