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THE EFFECTS OF FOAM ROLLER DENSITY
ON FLEXIBILITY ENHANCEMENT AND
MUSCLE CHARACTERISTICS ON THE
QUADRICEP AND CALF MUSCLES
Poster
KAUR Gurkeerat
BSocSc (Hons) in Sports and Recreation Management
Department of Sport and Recreation
OBJECTIVES RESEARCH BACKGROUND
• To determine how soft and hard Flexibility, crucial for sports performance and injury prevention, is the ability to
foam rollers affect range of motion move a joint through normal ROM without undue stress. Decreased flexibility
(ROM) and muscle mechanical can negatively affect athletic performance. Foam rolling (FR) is a popular
properties (Quadricep and Calf self-myofascial release (SMR) technique used for recovery and warm-up.
muscles). While FR enhances flexibility, the impact of different FR densities on acute
• To evaluate the immediate effects flexibility remains largely unexplored, and standardized protocols for duration
of different foam roller densities and intensity are lacking. This study addresses these gaps, highlighting the
on muscle properties and ROM importance of understanding optimal FR application for muscle function.
enhancement.
• To investigate the lasting duration METHODOLOGY
of enhanced ROM after using
different density foam rollers. This randomized trial investigated th efforts of soft (19.5 Shore A) and hard (43
Shore A) FR on flexibility and muscle stiffness in 48 healthy individuals (18-
64 years), with prior FR experience. Participants performed three 60-second
FR sets on quadricep and calf muscles, with 30-second rest periods. ROM
was measured by smartphone goniometry, and muscle stiffness was accessed
by MyotonPRO at baseline, immediately post-intervention, and at 15, 30, and
45 minutes. A metronome (20 bpm) standardized the rolling pace. Exclusion
criteria included injuries or regular FR use.
ABOUT THE INVESTIGATOR FINDINGS
As a final-year student, you might Both soft and hard FRs acutely enhanced lower limb flexibility. Ankle ROM
also know me as Bao. I am deeply improved significantly immediately post-intervention for both soft (p=0.010) and
fascinated by the physicality inherent hard (p=0.003) rollers, but these effects were not sustained. Rectus femoris
in sports, and my academic path is flexibility also improved acutely with soft FR (p=0.040) and at 15 minutes with
focused on sports therapy, driven by the hard FR (p=0.020). Critically, the soft FR significantly reduced medial
an interest in the intricate connection gastrocnemius stiffness (p=0.013, p=0.035 at 15 min) and lateral gastrocnemius
between movement, rehabilitation, stiffness (p=0.006, with the effect lasting up to 45 min, p=0.036). Hard FR showed
and peak performance. In the future,
I aim to explore more compelling no significant stiffness changes. Rectus femoris stiffness was unaffected by
fields, with the objective of effectively either roller. This suggests that the soft FR uniquely reduces calf stiffness, likely
assisting athletes in their recovery, via neural factors, while flexibility gains are common to both densities.
optimizing their performance, and
contributing positively to their overall
well-being. Remember, failure is not a
setback, but an essential part of the
process to succeed!!
FYP Supervisor: Mr. Freeman KWOK
79 Student Applied Research Presentations 2025 Student Applied Research Presentations 2025
