EFFECTS OF FOAM ROLLING ON RANGE OF MOTION, PEAK TORQUE, MUSCLE ACTIVATION, AND THE HAMSTRINGS-TO-QUADRICEPS STRENGTH RATIOS

To examine the effects of foam rolling (FR) on range of motion (ROM), peak torque (PT), hamstrings-toquadriceps (H:Q) ratios, and muscle activation. Twenty-two recreationally active women (mean age +/- SD = 21.55 +/- 1.82 years, 161.91 +/- 6.58 cm, 61.47 +/- 10.54 kg) volunteered for this study. Participants performed pre- and posttests analyzing PT and surface electromyography (EMG) of their dominant limb, completing maximal knee extension and flexion at 3 different velocities. Participants foam rolled the hamstrings muscles or sat for the control condition between the pre- and posttests. Hamstrings ROM increased in the FR condition from (mean +/- SE) 123.23 +/- 3.49 to 126.41 +/- 3.62 degrees (p < 0.001) and decreased in the control condition from 118.82 +/- 4.25 to 117.95 +/- 4.29 degrees (p = 0.013). Concentric hamstrings PT and conventional H:Q ratios decreased after both conditions, with smaller decreases after FR (p <= 0.05). No significant changes were found for eccentric hamstrings PT, eccentric hamstrings EMG, or functional H:Q ratios (p > 0.05). Foam rolling resulted in greater changes in hamstrings ROM without creating a deficit in PT or muscle activation when compared with the control group. When compared with other methods of stretching, FR may be beneficial in increasing ROM without decreasing functional H:Q ratios.