Key result
A single 30-minute bout of self-myofascial release using a foam roller significantly decreased the augmentation index in both young (from 6.9% to -1.9%) and middle-aged (from 22.1% to 14.7%) women.
Why the study?
Arterial stiffness is an independent cardiovascular risk factor inversely associated with flexibility. It remained unknown whether a single bout of self-myofascial release using a foam roller improves arterial stiffness and autonomic nervous system function in young and middle-aged women.
Does a single 30-minute bout of self-myofascial release using a foam roller improve arterial stiffness, flexibility, and autonomic nervous system function in healthy young and middle-aged women?
Does a single 30-minute bout of self-myofascial release using a foam roller improve arterial stiffness, flexibility, and autonomic nervous system function in healthy young and middle-aged women?
p-value: p=0.0072 (young), 0.0049 (middle-aged)
A single 30-minute session of foam rolling acutely reduces central arterial stiffness (augmentation index) and improves flexibility in both young and middle-aged healthy women.
Acute self-myofascial release should not change clinical recommendations; leaves open durability and relevance in at-risk populations.
PURPOSE: Arterial stiffness is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and inversely associated with flexibility. Self-myofascial release (SMR) using a foam roller is a popular intervention to improve flexibility, restore the muscles, fascia, tendons, and ligaments, and regain soft-tissue extensibility. This study aimed to investigate whether a single bout of SMR has a beneficial effect on arterial stiffness and the function of the autonomic nervous system and the relationships among these variables in young and middle-aged women by age.METHODS: Ten healthy young (23.20±0.59 years) and 10 middle-aged women (44.50±0.91 years) completed an instructed SMR using a foam roller. Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), augmentation index (AIx), trunk flexibility, shoulder flexibility, heart rate variability, including standard deviation of normal R-R intervals (SDNN), and the root mean square of the standard deviation of the time between heartbeats (RMSSD) were measured before and after one 30-minutes bout of SMR.RESULTS: After one bout of SMR, trunk and shoulder flexibility increased in both groups of women, while AIx decreased significantly (from 6.9±2.9 to -1.9±4.6%, p=.0072, young women group; from 22.1±3.4 to 14.7±1.7%, p=.0049, middle-aged women group). However, the baPWV, RMSSD, and SDNN did not change. In the analysis of correlations between all measured variables, changes in AIx showed negative correlations with flexibility and SDNN.CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that one bout of SMR using a foam roller positively affected arterial stiffness in women by reducing AIx and improving flexibility.
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Lee et al. (2021) studied Healthy, sedentary (n=20). Self-myofascial release (SMR) using a foam roller vs. Pre-intervention (baseline) was evaluated on Augmentation index (AIx) (p=0.0072 (young), 0.0049 (middle-aged)). A single 30-minute bout of self-myofascial release using a foam roller significantly decreased the augmentation index in both young (from 6.9% to -1.9%) and middle-aged (from 22.1% to 14.7%) women.
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