Foam Rolling or Stretching?

Many of you may be wondering, “Should I foam roll or should I stretch before my work out?” Both activities provide great benefits to our body, but each activity may be better at a different time. Let’s start by talking about what these activities both do. Both static stretching and foam rolling help to increase blood flow to the muscles. This increase in blood flow better supplies the muscles with the needed nutrients to function most efficiently. Stretching and foam rolling also both work to improve mobility, allowing our muscles to move freely throughout the available range of motion, increasing our flexibility and activity performance. Sounds pretty good right? But the question still stands, “Which should I do before a workout?”

What the research shows regarding the differences in these two activities is the impact on POWER. Now what exactly do I mean by power? Power is the amount of energy transferred in a unit of time. So if we think about this in regard to our workout, this may mean how fast we may be able to sprint, how long we are able to walk, or how much weight we are able to lift during a squat. When we perform a static stretch, energy is lost to the surrounding tissues, thus leaving the muscle with less energy to utilize during activity. Therefore, we are not able to sprint as fast, walk as long or lift as heavy during a squat. This loss of energy, however, does not occur while foam rolling.

Now back to our original question, “Stretching or foam rolling, which should we do before a workout?” Based on these findings, in order to have the greatest performance during a workout that warms up the muscles without compromising power, the best answer would be to foam roll. Though both activities have great benefits, one slightly compromises power and the other does not. So in summary, foam roll before activity and stretch following activity. For ideas on foam rolling, see our short video linked below. For a workout warm-up, based on your individual needs, visit one of our highly skilled physical therapists at OMPT Specialists for a free consultation today!

By Paula Terenzi, PT, DPT, KEOMPT

Resources:

Kasahara K, Konrad A, Yoshida R, et al. Comparison of isolated or combined static stretching and foam rolling on knee extensors’ function. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Published online September 1, 2023:389-396. doi:10.52082/jssm.2023.389

Reiner MM, Tilp M, Guilhem G, Morales-Artacho A, Konrad A. Comparison of a single vibration foam rolling and static stretching exercise on the muscle function and mechanical properties of the hamstring muscles. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. Published online June 1, 2022:287-297. doi:10.52082/jssm.2022.287

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