Foam Rolling and Muscle and Joint Proprioception After Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage

<jats:sec> <jats:title>Context</jats:title> <jats:p>Foam rolling (FR) is considered an effective postexercise modality for reducing delayed-onset muscle soreness and enhancing recovery of muscle function. However, the effects of FR on muscle and joint proprioception have not been investigated.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Objective</jats:title> <jats:p>To examine the effects of FR on muscle and joint proprioception after an intense exercise protocol.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Design</jats:title> <jats:p>Controlled laboratory study.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Setting</jats:title> <jats:p>University-based laboratory.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Patients or Other Participants</jats:title> <jats:p>A total of 80 healthy, physically active male students were randomly assigned to either the FR (n = 40; age = 22.8 ± 3.3 years, height = 176.4 ± 5.3 cm, mass = 74.2 ± 6.4 kg) or passive-recovery (PR; n = 40; age = 23.0 ± 3.2 years, height = 178.1 ± 5.5 cm, mass = 74.6 ± 6.2 kg) group.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Intervention(s)</jats:title> <jats:p>Participants in both groups performed 4 sets of 25 repetitions of voluntary maximal eccentric contractions at 60°/s from 20° to 100° of knee flexion to induce exercise-induced muscle damage. The exercise was followed by either PR or 2 minutes of FR immediately (1 hour) and 24, 48, and 72 hours postexercise.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Main Outcome Measure(s)</jats:title> <jats:p>Muscle soreness, pressure-pain threshold, quadriceps-muscle strength, joint position sense, isometric force sense, and threshold to detect passive movement at baseline and immediately, 24, 48, and 72 hours postexercise after FR.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Results</jats:title> <jats:p>Foam rolling resulted in decreased muscle pain, increased pressure-pain threshold, improved joint position sense, attenuated force loss, and reduced threshold to detect passive movement compared with PR at 24 and 48 hours postexercise.</jats:p> </jats:sec> <jats:sec> <jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title> <jats:p>Foam rolling postexercise diminished delayed-onset muscle soreness and improved recovery of muscle strength and joint proprioception. These results suggested that FR enhanced recovery from exercise-induced damage.</jats:p> </jats:sec>