Effectiveness of a Foam Roller Warm-Up in Professional Basketball Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Daniel Casado, Ivan Nacher, Juan Pardo and 1 others
PMID 39758693WHAT IT FOUND
Foam rolling before practice for 12 weeks improved ankle mobility and balance in basketball players.
However, when compared directly to a standard warm-up, the foam rolling group showed no significant advantage. The benefits were also lost four weeks after stopping the routine.
Key findings
01There were no statistically significant differences in ankle dorsiflexion between the foam roller group and the control group at any measurement point.
02The foam roller group showed significant increases in ankle dorsiflexion and balance scores compared to their own baseline, but the control group also improved in anterior reach.
03Improvements in ankle range of motion and balance were not sustained during the four-week follow-up period after the intervention stopped.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study had a small sample size of 22 participants, which limits the generalizability of the findings. The comparison was against a standard warm-up, not a no-intervention control, so both groups showed some improvement. The follow-up period was only four weeks, which may not be long enough to fully understand the decay of effects. The study only included male professional basketball players, so results may not apply to women, amateurs, or other sports.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was not funded by any external organization.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that foam rolling is superior to a standard warm-up because the group differences were not significant. The improvements seen were within-group changes, and both groups showed some benefit from their respective routines.