Can a foam roller reboot sore muscles?
NCT ID NCT07759388
First seen Aug 12, 2026 · Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This trial tests whether foam rolling—a self-massage technique using a foam roller—helps calf muscles and tendons recover after intense exercise. Healthy adults aged 18-40 will perform a workout designed to cause muscle soreness, then either use a foam roller or rest. Researchers will measure soreness, strength, flexibility, and tissue stiffness over the next few days to see if foam rolling speeds recovery.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Foam rolling (self-myofascial release)
- What this could lead to
- If foam rolling proves effective, it could offer a simple, low-cost way to speed muscle recovery and reduce soreness after exercise.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study in healthy volunteers, so results may not apply to athletes or injured people. Evidence on foam rolling is mixed, and any benefit may be modest.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 28 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
-
Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
-
Oct 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 40 years
- Sex
-
Male participants only
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion criteria: * Male individuals (aged 18-40 years); * Who had not engaged in any form of lower limb strength training and; * Had no prior experience with FR participated in this study. Exclusion criteria: * Presence of musculoskeletal injuries in the lower limbs; * Contraindications for performing maximal tests (including cardiovascular, respiratory, musculoskeletal or neurological conditions); * Engagement in high-intensity physical activity within 72 hours prior to assessments; * Current usage of dietary or anabolic supplements.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Muscle recovery are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Esefid/Ufrgs
Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, 90690-200, Brazil
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.