Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27757289›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of sports physical therapy2016

SIXTY SECONDS OF FOAM ROLLING DOES NOT AFFECT FUNCTIONAL FLEXIBILITY OR CHANGE MUSCLE TEMPERATURE IN ADOLESCENT ATHLETES.

Andrew M Murray, Thomas W Jones, Cosmin Horobeanu, Anthony P Turner, John Sproule

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of sports physical therapy, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 24 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
24citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

24 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 55 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Andrew M Murray
Thomas W JonesSports Physiology, Sport Science, Aspire Academy, Doha, Qatar.
Cosmin HorobeanuAspire Health Centre, Aspetar, NSMP, Doha, Qatar.
Anthony P TurnerInstitute of Sport, PE & Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
John SprouleInstitute of Sport, PE & Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
University of Edinburgh · GBAspire Academy · QA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPhysiotherapists and other practitioners commonly prescribe foam rolling as an intervention, but the mechanistic effects of this intervention are not known. PURPOSE: The aim of this investigation was to establish if a single bout of foam rolling affects flexibility, skeletal muscle contractility and reflected temperature.

methodsTwelve adolescent male squash players were evaluated on two separate occasions (treatment and control visits) and were tested on both legs for flexibility of the hip flexors and quadriceps, muscle contractility (as measured by tensiomyography) and temperature of the quadriceps (assessed via thermography) at repeated time points pre- and post a 60s rolling intervention (pre-, immediately post, 5, 10, 15, and 30 minutes post). They rolled one leg on the treatment visit and did not perform rolling on the control visit.

resultsThe main outcome measure was the flexibility of hip flexor and quadriceps at repeated time points up to 30 minutes post intervention. The average foam rolling force was 68% of subject's body weight. This force affected the combination of hip and quadriceps flexibility (p = 0.03; 2.4 degrees total increase with foam rolling) but not each muscle independently (p = 0.05 - 0.98) following a single 60s bout. Muscle contractility is not affected (p = 0.09 - 0.93) and temperature is not increased by foam rolling across time points (p = 0.19).

conclusionsA single sixty-second bout of rolling applied to the quadriceps induces a small significant change in flexibility that is of little practical relevance, while muscle contractility and temperature remain unchanged. Investigation of larger doses of rolling is merited in athletic populations to justify current practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c.

Indexed as

Adolescentflexibilitytensiomyographythermography

Identifiers

PMID27757289
PMCPMC5046970
OpenAlexW2546103936

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.