Differential Effects of Foam Rolling Durations on Flexibility and Athletic Performance

Indianapolis, IN

The purpose of this study was to investigate different foam rolling durations on lower extremity flexibility, muscular strength, and power in collegiate athletes. A total of 30 well-trained Division 3 football players participated in this randomized crossover design study. Each subject completed one day of baseline testing (no intervention) and two days of experimental testing (foam rolling protocols). The following tests were used to determine flexibility and athletic performance: sit-and-reach, vertical jump, broad jump, and isokinetic leg extension and flexion. Each subject participated in one trial per day with a washout period of at least 48 hours. The independent variables in this study were the short and long duration foam rolling protocols. The dependent variables were the sit-and-reach score, vertical jump height, broad jump distance, and peak concentric torque of the knee extensors and flexors at 60°/sec. It was hypothesized that compared to baseline, short duration foam rolling will increase sit-and-reach, vertical jump, broad jump, and isokinetic strength performances. Additionally, it was hypothesized that long duration will increase sit-and-reach and broad jump performance when compared to baseline, but will lead to a decrease in power production for the vertical jump and isokinetic strength test. So far, data collection indicates that short duration foam rolling improves flexibility and athletic performance measures with long duration foam rolling increasing flexibility to the greatest degree. Data collection is currently on going.