title: Foam rolling for delayed-onset muscle soreness and recovery of dynamic performance measures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  After an intense bout of exercise, foam rolling is thought to alleviate muscle fatigue and soreness (ie, delayed-onset muscle soreness [DOMS]) and improve muscular performance. Potentially, foam rolling may be an effective therapeutic modality to reduce DOMS while enhancing the recovery of muscular performance.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of foam rolling as a recovery tool after an intense exercise protocol through assessment of pressure-pain threshold, sprint time, change-of-direction speed, power, and dynamic strength-endurance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Controlled laboratory study.
  
  
  METHODS
  University laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 8 healthy, physically active males (age = 22.1 ± 2.5 years, height = 177.0 ± 7.5 cm, mass = 88.4 ± 11.4 kg) participated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants performed 2 conditions, separated by 4 weeks, involving 10 sets of 10 repetitions of back squats at 60% of their 1-repetition maximum, followed by either no foam rolling or 20 minutes of foam rolling immediately, 24, and 48 hours postexercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pressure-pain threshold, sprint speed (30-m sprint time), power (broad-jump distance), change-of-direction speed (T-test), and dynamic strength-endurance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Foam rolling substantially improved quadriceps muscle tenderness by a moderate to large amount in the days after fatigue (Cohen d range, 0.59 to 0.84). Substantial effects ranged from small to large in sprint time (Cohen d range, 0.68 to 0.77), power (Cohen d range, 0.48 to 0.87), and dynamic strength-endurance (Cohen d = 0.54).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Foam rolling effectively reduced DOMS and associated decrements in most dynamic performance measures.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Kinetics and Recreation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Canada;
authors.forename: Gregory E P
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Pearcey
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bradbury-Squires
authors.forename: Jon-Erik
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Kawamoto
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Drinkwater
authors.forename: David G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Behm
authors.forename: Duane C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Button
mesh_terms: D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018763:Muscle Fatigue / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D063806:Myalgia / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017288:Pain Threshold; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000502:physiology; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: athletic performance; magnitude-based inference; massage; pain