Impact of foam rolling with and without vibration on muscle oxidative metabolism and microvascular reactivity

There is a growing interest in use vibration foam rolling as a warm up and recovery tool. However, whether vibration foam rolling offers additional benefits to traditional foam rolling is unclear. The current study aims to compare the effects of acute foam rolling, with and without vibration, on skeletal muscle metabolism and microvascular reactivity.

Fifteen physically active young males were tested on two different days, with gastrocnemius muscle microvascular function assessed using near-infrared spectroscopy coupled with the post-occlusive reactive hyperemia technique, before and after foam rolling, performed with or without vibration. The slope of tissue saturation index (TSI) decrease during occlusion between 120 s to 150 s (TSI occlusion slope) was assessed for muscle metabolic rate. Three commonly used microvascular function indexes, including the first10s TSI slope after occlusion (TSI10), time for TSI to reach half of peak magnitude (TSI1/2), and TSI peak reactive hyperemia, were also assessed.

None of the measured indexes showed significance for interaction or method (all p > 0.05). However, there was a main effect for time for TSI occlusion slope, TSI1/2, and TSI peak reactive hyperemia (p = 0.005, 0.034 and 0.046, respectively). No main effect for time for TSI10 was detected (p = 0.963).

The application of foam rolling can decrease muscle metabolism, and may improve some aspects of muscle microvascular function. However, vibration foam rolling does not seem to offer any additional benefits compared to traditional foam rolling alone.