Foam rolling intervention improves lactate clearance after high-intensity exercise

Purpose The effects foam rolling (FR) intervention on lactate clearance and the impaired executive function associated with fatigue after high-intensity exercise remain unclear. This study examined whether FR is an effective tool for fatigue recovery. Methods Eighteen healthy adults (10 males, 8 females; 21.8±1.7 years) without consistent exercise habits participated. The participants performed high-intensity exercises using an ergometer with a progressive load. Post-exercise FR intervention was compared with the control condition. Measurements included lactate, vigor/fatigue by the Profile of Mood States 2nd edition, cognitive function (cognitive task performance), and leg and body rating of perceived exertion (RPE) pre-and post-exercise, and post-intervention (5 min post-exercise). Results The blood lactate concentration post-FR intervention (−7.3±3.0 mmol/L) was significantly reduced. Increased lactate clearance by FR correlated with faster recovery of executive function for those with greater lactate clearance, although cognitive fatigue was not observed after high-intensity exercise ( P = .086, r = 0.41). Lactate clearance was not significantly correlated with RPE in the FR condition, whereas RPE decreased with increased lactate clearance for those with greater lactate clearance in the control condition (leg; r = 0.778, body; r = 0.669). Conclusions These results indicated FR intervention may be an effective recovery tool for exhausting exercises.