Effect of pre-exercise self myofascial release on symptoms of delayed muscle soreness and flexibility

Abstract

Context: Traditional warm-up strategies have evolved from dynamic stretching to incorporating innovative techniques designed to enhance performance and minimize the risk of injury. Among these, self-myofascial release (SMFR), particularly through the use of foam rollers (FRs), has gained popularity for its potential benefits. Purpose: This study examines the effects of pre-exercise SMFR with foam rolling on flexibility and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in university-level football players. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six male university-level football players were randomly assigned to two groups: EXG-1 (SMFR & COM), which involved SMFR combined with complex training, and EXG-2 (COM), which included only complex training. Flexibility was assessed using the sit-and-reach test, while DOMS was measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) ranging from 0 to 100. An independent t-test was performed to analyze differences between groups, and a paired sample ttest was used to compare baseline measurements to various time points. Repeated measures analysis was used to evaluate the effects of group, time, and group × time interaction with partial eta square (η2 p). Results: A repeated measures ANOVA for flexibility revealed a significant group effect (P < 0.01, η2 p = 0.526) and a significant time effect (P < 0.01, η2 p = 0.881) but no significant group × time interaction (P = 0.507, η2 p = 0.032). This suggests that both SMFR & COM and COM alone significantly improve flexibility. For DOMS, the repeated measures ANOVA showed a significant group effect (P < 0.01, η2 p = 0.781), a significant time effect (P < 0.01, η2 p = 0.995), and a significant group × time interaction (P = 0.013, η2 p = 0.138). This indicates that SMFR & COM significantly reduces DOMS over time compared to the COM group. The study also found that DOMS peaked at 24 and 48 h after exercise and decreased by 72 h. The VAS scores for DOMS were consistently lower in the SMFR & COM group compared to the COM group: at baseline (0 h), the scores were 20.38 ± 5.19 vs. 30.77 ± 3.44 (mild soreness); at 24 h, 40.38 ± 4.31 (mild to moderate) vs. 55.38 ± 4.77 (moderate); at 48 h, 67.69 ± 3.88 vs. 76.15 ± 6.50 (moderate to severe); and at 72 h, 26.92 ± 4.80 vs. 33.46 ± 5.91 (mild). Conclusions: This study concludes that the SMFR & COM group showed greater improvements in flexibility and reduced DOMS compared to the COM group, with significant changes observed across both group and time factors. Pre-exercise SMFR using an FR before intensive activity enhances flexibility and alleviates DOMS, promoting optimal performance and faster recovery.