Foam rollers

davep1

Tell me more! I've been on Amazon and it is the usual thing, once you look at the reviews you aren't sure which one to buy, so any recommendations? And where can I find out how best to use them?

DKay

Use your own forearms and hands. They come with your body for free.

philwint

They are cheap - i think mine was about a tenner.

They can't stretch, this is true. But they help a lot with my cramp. I always suffered a lot post ride, but 5 mins rolling and I hardly ever get it now.

jscl

madasahattersley wrote:

Wouldn't bother myself. Foam rolled a few times per week for a couple of years and all it achieved is a very temporary nice feeling. They CANNOT stretch your muscles and they DEFINITELY cannot "stretch the IT band" no matter what personal trainers might say.

You weren't doing it right then! Foam rolling does work, when done correctly. That's why many pro peloton and national team riders tend to do it...

napoleond

Foam Roller works wonders for me! Esp. on the IT band.

ai_1

madasahattersley wrote:

Wouldn't bother myself. Foam rolled a few times per week for a couple of years and all it achieved is a very temporary nice feeling. They CANNOT stretch your muscles and they DEFINITELY cannot "stretch the IT band" no matter what personal trainers might say.

Not surprised you weren't happy with the results if you expected it to stretch anything. That's not the purpose.
The roller is for easing tight knotted/ tensed tissue and trigger points to reduce pain and tension after hard efforts or when rehabilitating injured muscles. It's not a replacement for stretching.
If anything it's a cheap but probably less effective replacement for a sports massage.

pete_s

They're good if you have an unsympathetic partner who isn't interested in your stoopid pains because you rode too far and too fast and took up all of the Saturday she finally has off work and now has to watch you kip on the sofa all day...

... :?

sloppyschleckonds

Just get one for a fiver in Sports Direct

davep1

pete_s wrote:

They're good if you have an unsympathetic partner who isn't interested in your stoopid pains because you rode too far and too fast and took up all of the Saturday she finally has off work and now has to watch you kip on the sofa all day...

... :?

Sounds perfect!

ai_1

Incidentally I find the Rumble Roller (nobbly hard foam roller) works well but they are a bit expensive!

alphacharlie

I've been using a GRID for quite a while now after both running and cycling, pretty sure it does aid my muscle recovery.

http://www.healthandcare.co.uk/triggerp ... wwodR3EAGg

cat_with_no_tail

Just bought one of the Triggerpoint "The Grid" rollers a couple of weeks ago on the recommendation of a friend who swears by his. Only used it a couple of times but I find it seems to do the trick. I'll mostly use it on days where I'm doing big rides on consecutive days. I've got a challenge coming up in a couple of weeks where I'm doing 100+ miles & 3,000m elevation per day for 3 days, so I'm sure it'll get a good bit of use there

FatTed

alphacharlie wrote:

I've been using a GRID for quite a while now after both running and cycling, pretty sure it does aid my muscle recovery.

http://www.healthandcare.co.uk/triggerp ... wwodR3EAGg

Easy to pack as its a tube I mean you can stuff your socks etc in it
since I have been doing some exercises I no longer get "IT" pain.

kiwimatt

Pro Fitness one out of Argos for a tenner excellent. You have to stretch <after> the rolling does the releasing bit (which hurts!) Just followed the basic instructions here
http://www.runnersworld.com/injury-trea ... oam-roller

I was getting ITB related knee problems. Rolling really helped. Haven't done it so much once it sorted the problem - sometimes following long rides.

feltkuota

madasahattersley wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

madasahattersley wrote:

Wouldn't bother myself. Foam rolled a few times per week for a couple of years and all it achieved is a very temporary nice feeling. They CANNOT stretch your muscles and they DEFINITELY cannot "stretch the IT band" no matter what personal trainers might say.

Not surprised you weren't happy with the results if you expected it to stretch anything. That's not the purpose.
The roller is for easing tight knotted/ tensed tissue and trigger points to reduce pain and tension after hard efforts or when rehabilitating injured muscles. It's not a replacement for stretching.
If anything it's a cheap but probably less effective replacement for a sports massage.

I wasn't expecting it to stretch anything, that's just a common misconception. And like I say despite doing it a few times a week it didn't help my tissue health at all. Same with sports massage, I don't believe in most of the "science" surrounding that either.

Guess it may depend on who was doing the massage. I am 100% for both the massage and the roller..

diy

I've had very good results from rollers. The purpose being to release the muscle and reduce pain from tension and spasm. I'd go for the firmest spikest one you can find. and then study the technique carefully. For calves sitting down supporting weight on hands (as if doing dips) put one leg over the other and roll. Hurts but very good for recovery.

diazepam also works well but has serious side affects.

Coach H

oxoman wrote:

Foam rollers work if used correctly otherwise physio's wouldn't suggest we punish ourselves using them.

Best friend is a Chartered Physio and he only suggests you use one if 'you have money to burn on something that doesn't actually do anything'

I think they may help with self massage of muscles but wont do anything to ITB's which have the tensile strength of steel wire. You could roll the muscle near your hip that keeps the ITB in tension but if you get your ITB to stretch (or relieve as some trainers put it) I think you will find your knee will go all floppy and you will fall over!

If you want one, these get lots of recommendations http://www.physiosupplies.com/physiothe ... -45cm.html

kiwimatt

Coach H wrote:

Best friend is a Chartered Physio and he only suggests you use one if 'you have money to burn on something that doesn't actually do anything'

I think they may help with self massage of muscles but wont do anything to ITB's which have the tensile strength of steel wire. You could roll the muscle near your hip that keeps the ITB in tension but if you get your ITB to stretch (or relieve as some trainers put it) I think you will find your knee will go all floppy and you will fall over!

Hmm - I wonder how much Chartered Physio time I would get for the tenner my roller cost - hardly a bonfire of cash is it :roll: - I love professionals...
Interesting point on the ITB though - from a practical point of view if what you're actually doing is releasing and then stretching the muscle tensioning the ITB does it matter (apart from slightly crap understanding of anatomy - the effect is what you're after)

ai_1

Coach H wrote:

...Best friend is a Chartered Physio and he only suggests you use one if 'you have money to burn on something that doesn't actually do anything'

I've been told the exact opposite by a chartered physio!
I think the vast majority consider foam rolling to be a legitimate, useful technique. I wasn't aware it was controversial!

Coach H

Ai_1 wrote:

Coach H wrote:

...Best friend is a Chartered Physio and he only suggests you use one if 'you have money to burn on something that doesn't actually do anything'

I've been told the exact opposite by a chartered physio!
I think the vast majority consider foam rolling to be a legitimate, useful technique. I wasn't aware it was controversial!

You know those irritating parts of your job that you have to do but you would really rather not have to bother with and take up far to much of your time that can be better used doing something else?

That's minor muscle strain/fatigue treatment to Physio's

Coach H

kiwimatt wrote:

Interesting point on the ITB though - from a practical point of view if what you're actually doing is releasing and then stretching the muscle tensioning the ITB does it matter (apart from slightly crap understanding of anatomy - the effect is what you're after)

But most ITB rolling is exactly that. Massaging (rolling) the ITB not the pretty small muscle that attaches it.
To stretch that you have to do a sort of camp, hello sailor routine to push your hip out further than your knee with your other leg wrapped round the back (easier to do than describe) or you can massage it with your thumb (comes free with your hand)

Bobbinogs

These work well but the best treatment is to get your partner to do a proper massage as part of a warm down. Mimic the action of the roller but get the partner to use their weight through their palms to gently push down the ITB. If done properly, and your ITB needs it, it will be misery but it does work well. I used the roller to some effect but getting a physio was a much better treatment...but expensive so I learned how the physio did it and then showed my wife.

Don't need to do it all the time, just when I have been overdoing the hill training.

oldhairylegs

NapoleonD wrote:

Foam Roller works wonders for me! Esp. on the IT band.

Me too!

I use a knobbly roller on my quads, hamstrings and ITB after most rides - a Physio recommended I try this
Got it for about £15 from Amazon. It hurts like hell sometimes, but I no longer suffer from excruciating leg muscle and ITB spasms during rides.

MattC59

Another +1 for 'The Grid'. It's an ace bit of kit, hurts like hell, but seems to relieve sore muscles.

Make sure that you get one that is solid and won't compress, if it does it's about as much good as a chocolate tea pot.

temitchell1987

Wonderful piece of kit. ITB and hip flexors mainly.
Introduces you to a whole new world of suffering but your legs feel smooth and strong the next day when you ride.

I am not a physio (but am a healthcare professional) but lived with 4 of them at university, 3 of these now specialise in sports physio, injury prevention and rehab and all can not recommend foam rollers highly enough.

GavH

My TP Grid is perhaps one of the best pieces of kit I've ever bought. Cured my tight ITB in no time and has resolved a number of other leg issues as well as just aiding recovery. A runner friend uses a wine bottle wrapped in a towel for the same effect so there is no need to buy anything too fancy, just something that is firm enough.

ai_1

A short length of large diameter (say 150mm) plastic pipe would probably do a good job too.

GavH

Yep, looking at my TP Grid, that's basically what it is: a plastic hollow pipe wrapped in foam.

CyclingLocations.com

Thumbs up for the small Trigger Point foam roller. And it is not supposed to stretch, but to flush out things from your muscles. Found quite useful after races or long tough rides.

ai_1

GavH wrote:

Yep, looking at my TP Grid, that's basically what it is: a plastic hollow pipe wrapped in foam.

In that case it would be easy to make a few cheap ones for a group by buying a length of pipe, wrapping a cheap yoga mat or similar around it and then cuttin git into appropriate lengths.

cat_with_no_tail

Saw absolutely loads of them about on Sunday after the marathon in Liverpool, lots of the sports massage / physio tents at the finish village bit had them dotted about for people to use while they were waiting.