REF-381 · Sullivan et al., 2013 / Su et al., 2017 · International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy
Roller-Massager Application to the Hamstrings Increases Sit-and-Reach Range of Motion Within Five to Ten Seconds Without Performance Impairments
Participants
n=17 volunteers (7 male, 10 female). A subgroup of 9 (3 male, 6 female) also completed a control session with no rolling.
Protocol
4 trials of hamstrings roller-massager rolling: 1 set × 5 s, 1 set × 10 s, 2 sets × 5 s, 2 sets × 10 s
Constant pressure (13 kg) and constant rate (120 bpm)
Before and after each session: sit-and-reach ROM, hamstrings maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force and muscle activation (EMG)
Key Findings
Roller-massager use produced a 4.3% increase in sit-and-reach ROM (main effect of testing time, p < 0.0001)
Trend (p = 0.069) for 10 s of rolling to increase ROM more than 5 s
No significant change in MVC force or MVC EMG after rolling
Authors' conclusion: the roller-massager had no significant effect on muscle strength and gave statistically significant ROM increases, particularly with the longer duration
Practical Application
In 17 volunteers, 5-10 s of roller-massager work on the hamstrings raised sit-and-reach range of motion by 4.3% with no loss of hamstring MVC force or activation; 10 s tended to beat 5 s. A few seconds of rolling buys a small, immediate ROM gain without the force cost that long static stretching carries.
Not from this paper: the acute force loss after longer static stretching is documented in REF-268 (Behm 2016 review: -3.7% after static stretching, larger with ≥60 s holds); the comparison "equivalent to 30 s static stretching" that this entry used to make was never tested here
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: in a warm-up, roll each target muscle briefly, then move into dynamic movements and sport-specific primers; the dose-response beyond 10 s per set was not tested in this study
Limitations
Small sample; control session in only 9 participants
Acute effects only, single-session measurements
Dose-response tested only up to 2 × 10 s; the co-cited Su 2017 ultrasound study is not verified here
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level
regraded 2026-09-27 from B+: within-subject experiment, n=17, control session in only 9 participants, acute outcome
Content correction 2026-09-27
"Equivalent to 30 s static stretching", "no decrement in sprint or jump performance", "ultrasound imaging confirms increased fascial glide", "effects plateau around 60-90 s per muscle", "60 s quads + 60 s hamstrings + 60 s glutes", "dose-response not mapped beyond 90 s" -> none of this is in the Sullivan 2013 abstract (which tested 5-10 s bouts and measured sit-and-reach, MVC force and EMG); removed or relabelled.
Added the study's actual numbers: n=17 (7 M, 10 F), 9 controls, 13 kg, 120 bpm, +4.3% ROM (p < 0.0001), 10 s vs 5 s trend (p = 0.069), no MVC change. Level B+ -> B.
Cross-reference descriptions checked against the cited entries' current content; wrong years, wrong entries and claims the cited entry does not make were corrected.