Foam rolling

What it is

How research describes it

A 2019 review describes foam rolling as a form of self-massage¹. The muscles being targeted are rolled and compressed with a foam-rolling device¹. It has become common in sport¹. There it is used both to get ready for training or competition and to speed recovery afterwards¹.

The tools

Common tools are the foam roller and a range of roller massage bars or sticks¹. They come in several sizes and foam densities¹.

A systematic review searches for all the research on a question in a set, checkable way. A 2022 overview of such reviews named foam rollers, roller massagers and balls as the most common instruments⁷. The foam roller and the roller stick apply pressure in different ways¹:

Tool	Where the pressure comes from
Foam roller	The person’s own body weight, pressing down onto the roller as it rolls1
Roller massager (stick)	The arms, pressing the roller onto the target muscles1

In the studies included in one 2024 systematic review, a set lasted from 20 seconds to 15 minutes, with 1 to 8 sets⁸.

The name “self-myofascial release”

Some reviews call rolling self-myofascial release^7,9. The term implies that rollers release tight spots in muscle and fascia built up from scar tissue, muscle spasm and other problems⁵. A 2019 narrative review found too little evidence that releasing restrictions in muscle and fascia is the main way rolling works⁵. Its authors therefore called the term misleading⁵.

A 2019 narrative review found too little evidence that releasing restrictions in muscle and fascia is the main way rolling works.

The same review notes that rollers are often used on trigger points, tender knots in a muscle⁵. It adds that finding trigger points is reported not to be very reliable⁵.

What it loads

The pressure under the roller

The rolling motion presses straight down on the soft tissue and sweeps along it¹. This stretches the tissue and creates friction between it and the device¹. One crossover study, where the same people tried each condition in turn, had 20 men roll the calf and front thigh¹⁰. On average, the force under the roller was 34% of body weight for the calves and 32% for the thighs¹⁰.

In the same 20 men, force fell from the upper to the lower end of the rolled segment¹⁰. Individual average forces reached highs of 51 to 55% of body weight¹⁰. With a foam roller, the upper body holds up part of the body’s weight¹. A 2019 review compares this to holding a plank¹.

Whether the pressure can change fascia

A mathematical model of manual therapy (hands-on methods such as massage) estimated the forces needed to squeeze or shear dense fascia by even 1%¹¹. The model looked at the fascia lata (the sheet that wraps the thigh muscles) and the plantar fascia (the band along the sole)¹¹. For both, the forces lay outside the normal physiological range¹¹. This was not true of the softer surface fascia of the nose¹¹. The authors concluded that the “release” manual therapists report cannot come from deforming these dense fasciae¹¹.

Studies of stiffness, how much force it takes to stretch something by a given amount, found mixed results^10,12:

• A 2023 meta-analysis of 20 studies in healthy adults or athletes found no pooled effect of rolling on muscle or fascia stiffness, with low certainty¹².
• Some single studies in that analysis did show lower stiffness after rolling¹².
• In one crossover study of 20 men, thigh stiffness fell after rolling and rose after cycling¹⁰.
• In a randomised trial of 30 adults, one session of stretching or rolling did not change the stiffness of the iliotibial band¹³.

Proposed ways it works

A 2019 review groups the proposed mechanisms into four kinds¹. It notes that few studies have tested them¹.

Kind	Examples the review gives
Mechanical	Tissue adhesion, stiffness, thixotropy (a property of some materials that grow runnier when stirred and thicken again at rest)1
Neurological	Changes in how pain is processed1
Physiological	Blood flow, parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nerve activity1
Psychophysiological	Sense of well-being, placebo1

Another 2019 review lists nervous-system routes for effects on range and pain⁵. They include pressure-sensing nerve endings in skin and fascia, body-wide pain-control systems, and reflex drops in muscle tone, a muscle’s resting tension⁵. Rolling can hardly be blinded, so a placebo (a dummy version with no active part) may explain one trend in sprint results¹.

How the body adapts

Range of motion after one session

Two 2020 meta-analyses found a large effect of rolling on range of motion^2,14. One pooled 26 trials in healthy adults and found an immediate gain against no exercise². The other pooled 13 studies and found range rose in every study it analysed¹⁴. A 2023 review notes that the gain can last more than 30 minutes¹⁵. In the first analysis, most factors tested, such as body mass index (weight for height), rolling speed or duration, made no significant difference².

That analysis also suggested rolling may work less well in men². Rolling was not better than stretching for the immediate gain². A 2024 systematic review of 38 studies (1,134 people) compared stretching or rolling with other warm-up activities⁸. It found no significant differences in range, stiffness or passive peak torque (turning force), with low to moderate certainty⁸. Its authors hypothesised that many activities that warm muscle might raise range, not just stretching or rolling⁸.

The studies disagree on rollers that vibrate^2,16. A 2020 meta-analysis found no significant pooled difference in range between rolling with and without vibration². A 2021 meta-analysis of eight fair-quality studies in 230 healthy people found larger gains with a vibrating roller, notably at the hip and knee¹⁶.

Performance after one session

A 2019 meta-analysis of 21 studies found that rolling before exercise gave small gains: sprint 0.7% and flexibility 4.0%¹. Effects on jump (−1.9%) and strength (+1.8%) were negligible¹. A 2024 review of 25 studies in 517 athletes found rolling seemed to give short-term gains in flexibility without affecting maximal strength and power⁹.

A 2023 meta-analysis looked at rolling during warm-up¹². It found no effect on isometric strength (the joint does not move) or eccentric torque (the muscle lengthens)¹². Rate of force development, how fast force builds, did not change either¹². It found a rise in concentric torque (the muscle shortens) of the muscles that straighten the knee¹². The authors rated the certainty of these findings low¹².

A 2021 meta-analysis of 13 studies found no significant overall difference in performance between rolling and stretching, only a trend towards rolling¹⁷. Subgroups favoured rolling over static stretching for some muscles or tasks, for bouts over 60 seconds, or with vibration¹⁷. Against dynamic stretching, effects were of the same size¹⁷.

A separate 2021 meta-analysis found rolling combined with stretching gave no significant extra range over either one alone¹⁸. A subgroup found better performance with the pair than with stretching alone, but only when rolling came first¹⁸.

Recovery and soreness

The 2019 meta-analysis of 21 studies also looked at rolling after exercise¹. It slightly reduced the drops in sprint (by 3.1%) and strength (by 3.9%) that exercise caused¹. It also lowered muscle pain perception, with a trivial effect on jumping¹.

Reviews of delayed-onset muscle soreness, soreness that starts hours to days after exercise, disagree^3,4:

• A 2024 meta-analysis of 16 randomised trials (515 people) found lower soreness with rolling after exercise³. Its authors reported a tiny effect right after exercise and a clearer one at 24 hours or more³. The abstract does not make clear whether this timing refers to when rolling was done or when soreness was measured³.
• A 2023 meta-analysis of five studies (151 healthy people, mostly men) found no significant difference from no intervention⁴. Its studies had moderate to high risk of bias, a rating of how likely it is that flaws skewed a result⁴.
• The 2023 authors concluded the research does not appear to support rolling for recovery of muscle damage markers⁴. They added that there are too few high-quality studies to be sure⁴.
• The 2024 review of 517 athletes found rolling seemed to favour perceived recovery and reduce soreness⁹.

A 2022 overview of seven good-quality reviews found benefits for short-term flexibility and recovery, but mixed results for muscle outcomes⁷. The authors of the 2019 meta-analysis judged the effects on performance and recovery rather minor, though they could matter for sprinting, flexibility or muscle pain¹. They judged the evidence backs its use in warm-ups more than for recovery¹.

Over weeks of training

A 2022 meta-analysis of 11 studies (290 healthy people, average age about 24) found a moderate gain in range from weeks of rolling, against control⁶. The results depended on programme length and muscle⁶:

Finding	Result
Programmes longer than 4 weeks	Range increased6
Programmes of 4 weeks or less	No significant difference from control6
Rolling the hamstrings and quadriceps	Range increased6
Rolling the calf muscles	No gain in dorsiflexion (pulling the foot up toward the shin)6

A 2024 meta-analysis of 85 studies found that static stretch training and rolling training both gave moderate gains in range¹⁹. Overall, the two did not differ significantly¹⁹. In programmes of 4 weeks or less, only static stretching raised range¹⁹.

A 2022 meta-analysis of eight training studies found no significant change in performance, with moderate confidence²⁰. A 2022 review of nine randomised trials of at least four weeks found mixed results for flexibility and an unclear effect on recovery²¹. One meta-analysis notes it is unclear whether rolling releases fascia⁶. It says changed pain perception, not lower muscle stiffness, is assumed to be a possible cause of long-term gains⁶.

Pain and side effects

A 2024 systematic review found pressure pain thresholds, the pressure at which a spot starts to hurt, shifted slightly after rolling²². But compared with a control group, it found no effect on thresholds at the rolled site²². Another 2024 review pooled six trials in people with short- or long-term muscle, bone or joint pain²³. Its results did not clarify or support rolling for pain intensity²³. Two of those trials found less pain when rolling was added to exercise, in people with patellofemoral pain and long-term neck pain²³.

The 2022 overview found no major adverse effects beyond pain during rolling⁷. A network meta-analysis (one that compares many options at once) pooled 41 ankle trials of stretching and rolling in active, healthy adults²⁴. It reported no adverse events linked to the interventions²⁴.

Connections

Rolling presses on muscle and other soft tissue¹. Whether it changes dense fascia is doubted^5,11. Several reviews compared it with stretching, for both range and performance^2,17,19. The calf stretch page covers an ankle study that compared the two²⁴. The iliotibial band page covers a trial that measured its stiffness after rolling¹³.

Training studies rolled the hamstrings, quadriceps and calf muscles such as the gastrocnemius, the large two-headed calf muscle⁶.

Sources

1. Wiewelhove T, Döweling A, Schneider C, Hottenrott L, Meyer T, Kellmann M, Pfeiffer M, Ferrauti A (2019). A Meta-Analysis of the Effects of Foam Rolling on Performance and Recovery.. Frontiers in physiology. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00376 PMID 31024339
2. Wilke J, Müller AL, Giesche F, Power G, Ahmedi H, Behm DG (2020). Acute Effects of Foam Rolling on Range of Motion in Healthy Adults: A Systematic Review with Multilevel Meta-analysis.. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01205-7 PMID 31628662
3. Zhou J, Jia D, Mao J, Xu Y (2024). Preventive effect of foam rolling on muscle soreness after exercise: A systematic review and meta-analysis.. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.10.009 PMID 39593540
4. Medeiros F, Martins W, Behm D, Ribeiro D, Marinho E, Santos W, Viana RB (2023). Acute effects of foam roller or stick massage on indirect markers from exercise-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis.. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2023.04.016 PMID 37330781
5. Behm DG, Wilke J (2019). Do Self-Myofascial Release Devices Release Myofascia? Rolling Mechanisms: A Narrative Review.. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01149-y PMID 31256353
6. Konrad A, Nakamura M, Tilp M, Donti O, Behm DG (2022). Foam Rolling Training Effects on Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01699-8 PMID 35616852
7. Ferreira RM, Martins PN, Goncalves RS (2022). Effects of Self-myofascial Release Instruments on Performance and Recovery: An Umbrella Review.. International journal of exercise science. doi:10.70252/GOXI7904 PMID 35991349
8. Warneke K, Plöschberger G, Lohmann LH, Lichtenstein E, Jochum D, Siegel SD, Zech A, Behm DG (2024). Foam rolling and stretching do not provide superior acute flexibility and stiffness improvements compared to any other warm-up intervention: A systematic review with meta-analysis.. Journal of sport and health science. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2024.01.006 PMID 38244921
9. Martínez-Aranda LM, Sanz-Matesanz M, García-Mantilla ED, González-Fernández FT (2024). Effects of Self-Myofascial Release on Athletes' Physical Performance: A Systematic Review.. Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology. doi:10.3390/jfmk9010020 PMID 38249097
10. Baumgart C, Freiwald J, Kühnemann M, Hotfiel T, Hüttel M, Hoppe MW (2019). Foam Rolling of the Calf and Anterior Thigh: Biomechanical Loads and Acute Effects on Vertical Jump Height and Muscle Stiffness.. Sports (Basel, Switzerland). doi:10.3390/sports7010027 PMID 30669477
11. Chaudhry H, Schleip R, Ji Z, Bukiet B, Maney M, Findley T (2008). Three-dimensional mathematical model for deformation of human fasciae in manual therapy.. The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association. doi:10.7556/jaoa.2008.108.8.379 PMID 18723456
12. Glänzel MH, Rodrigues DR, Petter GN, Pozzobon D, Vaz MA, Geremia JM (2023). Foam Rolling Acute Effects on Myofascial Tissue Stiffness and Muscle Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Journal of strength and conditioning research. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000004385 PMID 36227232
13. Pepper TM, Brismée JM, Sizer PS, Kapila J, Seeber GH, Huggins CA, Hooper TL (2021). The Immediate Effects of Foam Rolling and Stretching on Iliotibial Band Stiffness: A Randomized Controlled Trial.. International journal of sports physical therapy. doi:10.26603/001c.23606 PMID 34123517
14. Skinner B, Moss R, Hammond L (2020). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of foam rolling on range of motion, recovery and markers of athletic performance.. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2020.01.007 PMID 32825976
15. Konrad A, Nakamura M, Warneke K, Donti O, Gabriel A (2023). The contralateral effects of foam rolling on range of motion and muscle performance.. European journal of applied physiology. doi:10.1007/s00421-023-05142-2 PMID 36694004
16. Park SJ, Lee SI, Jeong HJ, Kim BG (2021). Effect of vibration foam rolling on the range of motion in healthy adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.. Journal of exercise rehabilitation. doi:10.12965/jer.2142322.161 PMID 34527633
17. Konrad A, Tilp M, Nakamura M (2021). A Comparison of the Effects of Foam Rolling and Stretching on Physical Performance. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Frontiers in physiology. doi:10.3389/fphys.2021.720531 PMID 34658909
18. Konrad A, Nakamura M, Bernsteiner D, Tilp M (2021). The Accumulated Effects of Foam Rolling Combined with Stretching on Range of Motion and Physical Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Journal of sports science & medicine. doi:10.52082/jssm.2021.535 PMID 34267594
19. Konrad A, Alizadeh S, Anvar SH, Fischer J, Manieu J, Behm DG (2024). Static Stretch Training versus Foam Rolling Training Effects on Range of Motion: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.). doi:10.1007/s40279-024-02041-0 PMID 38760635
20. Konrad A, Nakamura M, Behm DG (2022). The Effects of Foam Rolling Training on Performance Parameters: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis including Controlled and Randomized Controlled Trials.. International journal of environmental research and public health. doi:10.3390/ijerph191811638 PMID 36141907
21. Pagaduan JC, Chang SY, Chang NJ (2022). Chronic Effects of Foam Rolling on Flexibility and Performance: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.. International journal of environmental research and public health. doi:10.3390/ijerph19074315 PMID 35409995
22. Habscheid C, Szikszay TM, Luedtke K (2024). The effect of foam rolling on local and distant pain sensitivity assessed with pressure pain thresholds in healthy participants and musculoskeletal pain patients: A systematic review.. Journal of bodywork and movement therapies. doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.05.027 PMID 39593677
23. Santos IS, Dibai-Filho AV, Dos Santos PG, Júnior JDA, de Oliveira DD, Rocha DS, Fidelis-de-Paula-Gomes CA (2024). Effects of foam roller on pain intensity in individuals with chronic and acute musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review of randomized trials.. BMC musculoskeletal disorders. doi:10.1186/s12891-024-07276-6 PMID 38402150
24. Park JM, Lee KW, Yoon SY, Kim YW, Lee SC (2026). Flexibility-enhancing Interventions for Ankle Range of Motion: A Network Meta-analysis.. International journal of sports medicine. doi:10.1055/a-2876-9237 PMID 42134336

Every source the library cites

Changes

• September 30, 2026 First published.