The neurological reality behind foam rolling's effects on motor control and tissue preparation.
There has been an ongoing war in the health and fitness community between the science-based lifters and the bro-science lifters. For those of you living happily on the outskirts of this intellectual battleground, let me bring you up to speed on our two warring parties.
The bro-science lifters are a loosely defined group who argue the efficacy of their methods based on anecdotal and personal experience. They're rarely able to describe accurate mechanisms of their methods, but have by and large achieved the desired results in question – muscle gain, fat loss, strength building, etc.
The science-based lifting community relies heavily on peer-reviewed literature to inform their decisions and those of others. They're sometimes myopic in their views, but there's a precision to their approach that's hard to contest.
In the war between these two sides, there have been decisive victories on either side. However, there's one battle that has been raging for some time, and I believe we can end it with a peace deal.
That battle is the efficacy of foam rolling, and that peace deal is this article.
So many comment threads have been lost, so many tears shed in the pursuit of victory in this important training territory.
The core of this dispute is simple:
"Does foam rolling work?"
The science-based crowd answers with a resounding "No", and the bro-science crowd is off in the corner rolling to their hearts' content.
At the outset, we must first recognize that it's a worthwhile issue to investigate. Foam rolling has become one of the most widespread training modalities on the planet, from commercial gyms to clinics, to pro sports weight rooms, to high-school gym classes. It's hard to partake in any form of exercise without a foam roller present. So, is it worth our time?
Why structural explanations for foam rolling fail: the scar tissue myth.
The first issue we need to tackle is what is meant when we say that foam rolling "works". What are the criteria for success?
For most people, this argument hinges on the antiquated idea that foam rolling "breaks up scar tissue", and the benefits felt are the result of the structural displacement of internal adhesions. Albeit seemingly plausible to an uninformed observer, it's been proven to be a physical impossibility. So if we're asking, does foam rolling break up scar tissue – the answer would be a resounding no.
Even with this research firmly established, people are still foam rolling daily across the world – so what's going on?
Mechanoreceptor stimulation: the neurological mechanism behind foam rolling's benefits.
To answer this question, we need to go deeper – we need to abandon the potential "structural" mechanisms of correction and start to evaluate the potential "neurological" mechanisms at play.
And in order to do that, we need to familiarize ourselves with a subset of the nervous system known as mechanoreceptors.
Mechanoreceptors are a specialized group of free nerve endings that reside just below the skin and relay specific location and sensory data to the brain.
This group of four fast-transmitting receptors are wired to sense the presence of very specific stimuli:
- Deep pressure
- Light Touch
- Vibration
- Skin stretch
These sensations are relayed to our brain via the stimulation of four mechanoreceptors called:
- Pacinian corpuscles
- Meissner's corpuscles
- Merkel's Discs
- Ruffini endings
Now, let's consider how foam rolling works with this group of nerve endings in mind.
When you foam roll, you are stimulating these receptors in both the superficial layers of the skin as well as deeper layers of the fascia, and it's here that foam rolling has its major benefit.
Providing more sensory data to the brain helps update the motor learning centres with a high-resolution image of the body's position in space. This is a complex process worthy of a ton of exploration, but it helps us understand how foam rolling may have such a profound anecdotal positive impact.
Optimizing foam rolling protocols: evidence-informed application strategies.
With this framework in mind, we can make a few meaningful changes to the way we approach foam rolling to reap the greatest amount of neurological benefit.
${component=Step}Introduce motion to your foam-rolling sessions.
Mechanoreceptors aren't the only meaningful sensory receptor that feeds into the motor learning process. Sensory nerves in your muscles, tendons and joints play an integral role in this process as well. Introducing movement while foam rolling can be a potent 1-2 punch when attempting to improve the way you feel prior to lifting.
${component=Step}Prioritize the most time-efficient intervention.
When you reallocate the mechanism of correction away from the structural deformation of scar tissue and towards the neurological adaptations caused by specific sensory input, you can be much more efficient with your time. No longer do you need to foam roll for 30 minutes or longer. Neurological adaptations occur fast, so no need to drag out your foam rolling sessions.
Clinical bottom line: context-dependent integration into movement preparation.
So, does foam rolling work?
In the right context – yes, it can.
If your warm-ups are missing a bit of sensory input and getting more information about your body's position in space is needed, a quick, dynamic foam rolling session is a helpful addition alongside other proven movement preparation strategies.