Skeletal muscle index modulates the reduction of aortic pressure augmentation after foam rolling

Foam rolling reduces vascular resistance and enhances peripheral blood flow; however, its ability to attenuate pressure wave reflection remains purely hypothetical. Given the positive correlation between skeletal muscle mass and flow-mediated vasodilation, the present study investigated the acute effects of foam rolling on pressure wave reflection and explored whether skeletal muscle index moderates this response.

Twenty-six men and women (age, 22-62 years) completed 20 min of foam rolling and sham control on separate days in a randomized controlled crossover design. Skeletal muscle index was calculated as skeletal muscle mass/height2 (bioelectrical impedance analysis), and the BMI as body weight/height2. Carotid pressure waveforms were recorded to derive time to reflection, reflection magnitude, and aortic augmentation index at baseline, and at 10 and 30 min postintervention.

Foam rolling elicited reductions in aortic augmentation index at 10 min (P < 0.001) and 30 min (P = 0.021) postintervention. Reflection magnitude decreased 10 min after foam rolling (P < 0.001), whereas the time to reflection remained unchanged. Skeletal muscle index correlated negatively with reductions in augmentation index (r = -0.45, P = 0.021) and reflection magnitude (r = -0.41, P = 0.049) at 10 min, even after adjusting for age, sex, and BMI (both P < 0.05).

Foam rolling acutely attenuated aortic pressure augmentation by reducing the magnitude rather than the timing of peripheral wave reflections. Moreover, individuals with greater muscle mass may derive more substantial cardiovascular benefits from foam rolling.