Myofascial Release – Your New Best Friend

By: Rob Foreman

As an endurance athlete since high school I’ve had my fair share of injuries. Some were significant, requiring invasive surgery and others needed just a couple days of rest. Hindsight has taught me that the majority of these were preventable:  I probably shouldn’t have run my first two marathons within five weeks of each other and swapping some bench press time for flexibility exercises during college would have done me good. Self-control can be your best asset in injury prevention, and as endurance athletes, we are notorious for having very little.

The dedicated triathletes out there know the critical moment I am talking about… when you feel the twinge in your tendon and keep running, when something pinches in your shoulder and you keep swimming or when your knee stiffens up but you still go for that long ride because you don’t want to miss a solid day of training. It has been my experience that triathlon tends to attract the serious “nothing will get in the way of my PR” kind of personality.

Since I can’t convince you to take a day off, I’ll introduce you to another painful aspect of endurance training (which I’m sure you’ll embrace) so we can prevent some of the overuse injuries that endurance athletes are prone to. One of the best, and most under utilized techniques at our disposal is myofascial release. This technique reduces adhesions within our connective tissue and allows muscles to move more freely over each other and within their sheaths. By releasing adhesions — or bound up muscle fibers — we can relieve tension within muscles and at their attachment points therefore diminishing the possibility of injury.

Myofascial release can be accomplished in a couple different ways. Due to personal budget constraints, I rarely spring for the first approach, a deep tissue massage. However, if you’re one of those competitors who dropped 6,000 dollars for your tri bike — by all means, don’t cut your massage therapist (he/she better be a good one) out of your payroll — there are benefits to allowing a professional to push their elbows and body weight into every little nook and cranny between your muscle fibers. But don’t expect a series of miracles, regardless of what you spend, it still won’t rid you of your cellulite.

The second approach, which is my specialty, would be self-inflicted torture treatment. This can be accomplished with a few different tools:  the foam roller, the “stick,” the lacrosse ball, the tennis ball, trigger point release systems and a number of other similar products. These test how much pain you’re willing to inflict on yourself. Body weight is most commonly used to apply pressure to the adhesions.

            Directions:  Begin SLOWLY rolling your problem areas and don’t assume you know where these are. It’s easy to identify a sore tendon but harder to identify what specific imbalances are creating that soreness. Work muscles groups above and below the sore tendon to help identify adhesions. Once you find a particularly bound up group of fibers, apply pressure to that area (prepare to insert a leather belt into your mouth because you hit the sweet spot, just make sure to breathe).

            When to do it: I find myofascial release particularly beneficial on rest days and in the days before competition. I also recommend doing it before a workout. It can help work out some of the kinks in muscles before they are fully warmed up.

Common Problem areas in triathletes:

            IT Band and Quad Complex:  The Iliotibial band runs from the hip to the knee on the outside of the leg and is arguably the most painful area to roll. Use a foam roller or ball and lay sideways or in the prone position on top of the device. Keeping your forearm(s) flat on the floor slowly move back and forth over the ball or roller. Move from just above the knee to just below the hip flexor or pelvic bone.  Be sure not to roll over the knee joint itself.  This can help reduce knee and hip pain.

Calf and Lower Leg:  It takes strength to hold oneself up to do this technique and can be more work for your upper body but bear with me. Start with the roller directly above the Achilles tendon and roll with both legs on the roller up to the back of the knee. Do not cross the knee joint. Continue up and down while doing “windshield wipers” with your feet. To increase discomfort effectiveness, stack one leg over the other and repeat.

            Upper and Middle Back:  Miles and miles on the bike can lead to a stiff neck and middle back. Start by crossing your arms across your chest with a foam roller perpendicular to your body just above the small of your back. Roll slowly from the lumbar-thoracic junction to the base of the neck. Repeat, then lay your head over the roller so your neck is directly on top of the roller. Turn your head from side to side. Next, lie on your side with the roller at the junction of your ribs and Lat roll toward the armpit releasing the Lat.  If you experience any numbness or tingling in your arm or hand while doing this one, stop.

            Chest: This is often an over looked area in triathletes and can get tight from the aero position and laps in the pool. Put a lacrosse ball, tennis ball, or myoball against a wall and lean your body weight into the ball applying pressure on one Pectoral at a time. Do not cross over into the Anterior Deltoid. Switch sides and repeat.  Ladies may not like this one, so work around those delicate areas as women have tight Pecs too.

Myofascial release is one of many methods we can employ to maintain healthy muscles. The basics — proper hydration, diet and rest — are all important in fueling injury prevention as well. Now go forth and grimace as you contort your body on a lacrosse ball on your living room floor while your family dog stares at you in curiosity.  Stay healthy through the summer and I’ll see you at the Nations Tri!

About BA Rob:
Rob's career in fitness was originally inspired by his HS cross country and collegiate rowing coach. He has a degree in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland and is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach. After college Rob wanted to try a challenging and dynamic event so he signed up for his first Triathlon. Rob has only participated in Olympic distance races but plans on doing his first Half Ironman this year. He considers himself a recreational participant and enjoys pushing his mind and body to the limit. Rob was one of the Achieve Triathlon Camp coaches and has spent years as a youth swim instructor. If you see Rob on the race course you're probably passing him on the bike leg.