Foam Rolling

What it is

Foam rolling is a form of self-myofascial release, in which a person rolls their own muscles over a tool [1]. Foam rollers and roller massage sticks are both used in studies [2].

What the research says

For muscle soreness after exercise, a 2024 meta-analysis of 16 randomised trials (515 people) found foam rolling reduced soreness, with a tiny effect immediately and a clearer effect beyond 24 hours [3]. A 2019 review of 21 studies found rolling after exercise reduced muscle pain perception [2].

For performance and recovery, rolling before exercise gave a small sprint gain, and rolling after exercise slightly reduced the drop in sprint and strength [2]. Foam rolling did not change isometric strength in one review [4], and the effect on recovery over the longer term is unclear [5].

For range of motion, training over several weeks increased joint range of motion in the hamstrings and quadriceps [6]. Acute gains were no greater than those from other warm-up activities [7].

For pain in people with musculoskeletal problems, a review of six trials could not pool results, and only two trials found a significant benefit [8].

Doses used in studies

Chronic trials ran for at least four weeks [5]. Range of motion gains were larger in programmes over four weeks [6]. These are the patterns in the trials, not recommendations.

Safety and interactions

The abstracts read for this page do not report side effects, and no data were found on harms, medicine interactions, pregnancy or upper limits. Self-myofascial release is performed by the individual themselves, usually with a tool [1].

Caveats and open questions

Many reviews rate the evidence as low certainty [4][7]. Most muscle-soreness studies could not be pooled because they lacked extractable effect sizes [9]. Effects on range of motion vary by muscle, and rolling the calf did not improve ankle movement [6].