Acute effects of foam rolling versus passive rest following a single bout of explosive squat jump exercise

A single session of explosive resistance exercise can induce acute neuromuscular fatigue, highlighting the need for effective recovery strategies. Foam rolling (FR) is commonly used to facilitate neuromuscular and functional restoration. This study examined whether FR, compared with passive recovery (PR), differentially affects post-exercise balance, jump performance, and lower-limb neuromuscular excitation assessed via surface electromyography. Twenty-one physically active men (age 21.8 ± 1.6 years; height 180.7 ± 8.0 cm; weight 75.1 ± 10.8 kg) completed both FR and PR in a randomized crossover design. Assessments were conducted prior to exercise (pre-test), immediately post-exercise (mid-test), and following the recovery interventions (post-test). All participants performed the squat jump protocol (5 sets × 6 reps at 30% 1RM and 6-8 reps at body weight), followed by performance tests (dynamic balance, static balance, horizontal and vertical jumping) and muscle activity assessment. For physical tests, significant intervention × time interactions were observed for posteromedial and composite scores of dynamic balance, static balance, and horizontal jumping (p = 0.002-0.024; [Formula: see text] = 0.171-0.262), indicating greater improvements following FR compared with PR, whereas no significant interactions were observed for anterior and posterolateral dynamic balance or vertical jumping. Muscle excitation showed significant main effects of time across all measures (p ≤ 0.001-0.032; [Formula: see text] = 0.158-0.598), with intervention × time interactions limited to a subset of muscles (p = 0.011-0.035; [Formula: see text]= 0.154-0.201). FR may help preserve static and dynamic balance, as well as horizontal jump performance, following a single bout of explosive resistance exercise; however, its effects on vertical jump and muscle excitation appear limited. Future research should incorporate broader neuromuscular assessments and varied FR protocols across diverse populations to clarify underlying mechanisms and optimize recovery.