Have you ever wondered what works best – foam rolling or stretching? In 2014, researchers set out to answer this question. They compared the effect of rolling vs stretching as part of a warmup designed to reduce the risk of lower leg (foot and ankle) injuries.

The results were great for foam roller fans everywhere. Stretching has been linked to reduced force and power if overused as part of a warmup. In this study, it was found that foam rolling can help you achieve the desired improvement in range of motion, without any reduction in power.

Here are some quotes from the study:
Only the self-massage with a roller massager led to small improvements in MVC force relative to SS at 10 min post-intervention.

These results highlight the effectiveness of a roller massager relative to stretching.

Roller massage increased and stretching decreased maximal force output during the post-test measurements, with a significant difference occurring between the two interventions at 10 min post-test (p < 0.05, ES = 1.23, 8.2% difference).

Both interventions improved ankle ROM.

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