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Acute and chronic effects of foam rolling vs eccentric exercise on ROM and force output of the plantar flexors

  • Anne A.G. Aune
    ,
  • Chris Bishop
    ,
  • Anthony Turner
    ,
  • Kostas Papadopoulos
    ,
  • Sarah Budd
    ,
  • Mark Richardson
  • Middlesex University
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

Foam rolling and eccentric exercise interventions have been demonstrated to improve range of motion (ROM). However, these two modalities have not been directly compared. Twenty-three academy soccer players (age: 18 ± 1; height: 1.74 ± 0.08 m; body mass: 69.3 ± 7.5 kg) were randomly allocated to either a foam rolling (FR) or eccentric exercise intervention designed to improve dorsiflexion ROM. Participants performed the intervention daily for a duration of four weeks. Measurements of dorsiflexion ROM, isometric plantar flexion torque and drop jump reactive strength index were taken at baseline (pre-intervention) and at three subsequent time-points (30-min post, 24-hours post and 4-weeks post). A significant time x group interaction effect was observed for dorsiflexion (P = 0.036), but not for torque or reactive strength index. For dorsiflexion, there was a significant increase in both acute (30-min; P < 0.001) and chronic (4-week; P < 0.001) ROM for the eccentric group, whilst FR exhibited only an acute improvement (P < 0.001). Eccentric training would appear a more efficacious modality than foam rolling for improving dorsiflexion ROM in elite academy soccer players.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 138-145

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Sports Sciences (Volume 37, Issue 2)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 04/06/2018
  • Published - 12/06/2018

Publication status

Published - 12/06/2018

ISSN

0264-0414

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/623769
  • Scopus: 85048364788

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