We asked HPH Osteopath Marcus Ng to dig into the research and see if he could answer this question. As an avid basketball player & NBA fan, Marcus has a keen interest in all types of sporting injuries. Marcus can provide you with the best prevention tips and rehabilitation techniques that will allow you to get the most of out of your sporting performance, whether you are a weekend warrior or professional athlete. If you have any questions on sporting injuries you can email Marcus harleyplacehealth@gmail.com
According to a 2015 study, a Combination of Foam Rolling, followed by Stretching, produces the best results.
In the study, a group of athletes were tested using all 3 protocols on different days. For example, they were told to just Foam Roll, then assessed/measured on one day. On another day, they were told just to Stretch, then assessed and measured again. Then on another day they were told to Foam Roll AND Stretch and measured for the third time.
The greatest effects were seen when people did the combination, with an increase in ROM almost 50% greater than stretching alone.
It’s worth noting that in this study the participants did 3 sets of 30 seconds of foam rolling. That equals a total of 90 seconds, but it’s hard to say whether 3 sets of 30 seconds has the same effect as 90 seconds straight and according to the study mentioned earlier, the best results seem to be obtained when doing 90 seconds or longer.
Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25883869/
