To foam roll or not foam roll....that is the pain in the ass!

[knight987]

Hi All

Gonna make this long story short. Bought a foam roller for tight muscles/dodgy knees a while back. Used it, progrssed to increasing levels of hardness till now I roll quads on base ball. All I get is sore quads and the sense that I may be pulverising my muscles into useless lumps of meat. Question 1: should I roll? Question 2: if my quads are now useless what is the best way back? Incidentally, vastus medialis hugely overactive after cycling hence the roller purchase.

Cheers. Look forward to some sound advice as I haven't a clue on this one!

 

[Citius]

Try not doing it and compare the difference...?

 

[Tin Pot]

See if you can find any objective evidence that foam rolling is good for people.

Then make a decision.

 

[Crackle]

See if you can find any objective evidence that foam rolling is good for people.

Then make a decision.

Recent study, that's just one. It's used effectively by top sports people everywhere, along with stretching. I have no idea where you get your info from but it's just wrong.

http://breakingmuscle.com/mobility-recovery/does-foam-rolling-really-work

 

[Citius]

That study referred to (to which the link doesn't work, so can't be verified), apparently only focuses on foam rolling in terms of benefits to the range of motion of one particular muscle group. So not really applicable in a cycling/recovery context.

 

[ayceejay]

As in most things it is best to correctly identify (diagnose) the problem and then work towards a fix rather than trying to justify the purchase of a foam roller because you thought it might help. Are you using a baseball too?
Describe useless quads.

 

[Crackle]

That study referred to (to which the link doesn't work, so can't be verified), apparently only focuses on foam rolling in terms of benefits to the range of motion of one particular muscle group. So not really applicable in a cycling/recovery context.

Why not. It works on one range of muscles which the study looked at, so why wouldn't it be applicable to others or are cycling muscles magically different.

It's an example anyhow. I can't actually believe that anyone is arguing it doesn't work when it's recommended by physios, sports therapists, coaches, used by Olympic gold medallists, top British climbers etc etc etc.

Now in the case of the op, it may not be the right thing for him to be doing, there isn't enough info to go on but the rule of thumb is, if it hurts, stop doing it.

Oh and stretching. There was evidence put forward that static stretching is of no benefit but that doesn't mean that stretching is of no benefit or that static stretching as part of a stretching regime is of no benefit.

Here's a picture of a double olympic champion falling for this old snake oil. Who knows, she might have won more without the foam roller.

 

[Citius]

Why not. It works on one range of muscles which the study looked at, so why wouldn't it be applicable to others or are cycling muscles magically different.

Like I said, the study focuses on the effect of foam rolling in terms of a range of motion of a muscle set. 'Range of motion' is not usually a critical issue in cycling terms. If the study focused on recovery, that would be more useful. It's not the study's fault - it just has no real relevance in this context.

Here's a picture of a double olympic champion falling for this old snake oil. Who knows, she might have won more without the foam roller.

What we have here is something called an 'appeal to authority'. A pic of a famous cyclist using a foam roller is absolutely not evidence of anything other than her using a foam roller in the pic.

 

[Crackle]

Like I said, the study focuses on the effect of foam rolling in terms of a range of motion of a muscle set. 'Range of motion' is not usually a critical issue in cycling terms. If the study focused on recovery, that would be more useful. It's not the study's fault - it just has no real relevance in this context.

It really depends why you are foam rolling. Coming back from an injury will be an entirely different context to keeping your muscles in shape. It may even be for reasons not connected with the bike as there is evidence that cycling reduces hamstring range, as a for instance.

Appeal to authority: Interpret it how you wish.

 

[Citius]

It may even be for reasons not connected with the bike as there is evidence that cycling reduces hamstring range, as a for instance.

Anything that doesn't involve stretching the hamstrings will probably reduce hamstring range. The only point I'm making is that the study you linked to has no bearing on the topic in question.

 

[Crackle]

Anything that doesn't involve stretching the hamstrings will probably reduce hamstring range. The only point I'm making is that the study you linked to has no bearing on the topic in question.

It does, it's a reply to Tin Pot, who said there's no evidence it works. He wasn't talking directly about the OP, he said 'good for people', wider context.

 

[knight987]

Ouch! Didn't realise it would be such a hot topic. To answer the 'useless muscle' question. I am simply suggesting that if you massage/stretch muscles before exercise they are less effective (less contractual (?) strength) thus if you continue with hard massage (roller) over an extended period of months would this result in muscles that semi-permanently less effective at contracting. All i know is my knees hurt and whatever i do doesn't fix it....yes, done the bike-fit/shoe-fit/ glute/core strengthening, stretching to no avail.

 

[windyrider]

Tried a roller, never really got on with it. Changed up to a suspended strap TRX type system for core and stretching.
Researched the exercises that should help with cycling and have found a great improvement in all round strength and stamina both on and off the bike. To date injury free. N = 1

 

[windyrider]

[QUOTE 4181517, member: 9609"]I found my quads very uncomfortable to roll on at first, I now just love it, when on a long ride now I look forward to getting home and rolling the quads out, it makes them feel like new again. I have been thinking of getting a mini one so as I can stop before a big hill and roll the tiredness out of them.[/QUOTE]

I have this vision of you with said mini roller sticking out of the back pocket of your cycling jersey pulling over for a quick roll out !!!! Brilliant Let us know how that goes :-)

 

[Crackle]

Ouch! Didn't realise it would be such a hot topic. To answer the 'useless muscle' question. I am simply suggesting that if you massage/stretch muscles before exercise they are less effective (less contractual (?) strength) thus if you continue with hard massage (roller) over an extended period of months would this result in muscles that semi-permanently less effective at contracting. All i know is my knees hurt and whatever i do doesn't fix it....yes, done the bike-fit/shoe-fit/ glute/core strengthening, stretching to no avail.

Knee pain can have so many causes that you really need to know what's causing it. To that end, you may need to see someone to work that bit out as otherwise you might be doing entirely the wrong thing. It took me nearly 10 months to come back from a knee problem. Two physios, a lot of reading around to understand what muscles connect where and how pain from them manifests itself and I eventually managed to get back on the bike and begin building miles back up. This website was a lot of help, as was a book about stretching which clearly showed all the muscle groups and their attachment points, helps visualise things.

http://www.knee-pain-explained.com/

From a cycling perspective this website is also very useful

http://www.cptips.com/knee.htm