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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Sep-Oct;37(5):2057-2069.
doi: 10.21873/invivo.13303.

Effects of the Foam Massage Roller on VEGF-A and FGF-2 Blood Levels in Young Men

Adam Roslanowski  1 , Aleksandra Partynska  2 , Katarzyna Ratajczak-Wielgomas  3 , Alicja Kmiecik  3 , Jedrzej Grzegrzolka  3 , Piotr Dziegiel  3   4 , Adam Januszko  5 , Dariusz Lenart  6 , Waldemar Andrzejewski  1   7
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effects of the Foam Massage Roller on VEGF-A and FGF-2 Blood Levels in Young Men

Adam Roslanowski et al. In Vivo. 2023 Sep-Oct.

Abstract

Background/aim: Angiogenesis induced in muscles or massaged tissue is thought to support their regeneration and performance. Therefore, different methods that could promote angiogenesis are investigated. The aim of this study was to examine whether the use of the foam roller massager for lower limb muscles affects VEGF-A and FGF-2 levels in young men.

Materials and methods: The study group included 60 healthy young men attending Military University of Land Forces, Wroclaw, Poland. The participants were randomly divided into two groups. The experimental group included 40 individuals who performed self-massage of the lower limbs using a foam roller. The control group comprised 20 individuals who did not perform massage. Massage was applied to lower limb muscles four times a week for seven weeks. Blood was collected before the experiment and after weeks 1, 3, 5, and 7. ELISA was used to determine changes in VEGF-A and FGF-2 levels in blood serum.

Results: The results of the study demonstrated a significant increase in VEGF-A serum levels in the group of individuals who underwent massage each week compared to VEGF-A concentrations before the experiment. The increase in VEGF-A levels in the experimental group was observed throughout the experiment compared to the control group. No significant changes in serum FGF-2 levels were found.

Conclusion: The use of a foam massage roller increased VEGF-A serum levels, which may indicate stimulation of angiogenesis.

Keywords: FGF-2; Massage; VEGF-A; angiogenesis; roller.

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Conflict of interest statement

The Authors declare no conflicts of interest in relation to this study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Self-massage performed by the study participants (A-C).
Figure 2
Figure 2. Timeline showing the duration and conditions of the experiment in each group.
Figure 3
Figure 3. VEGF-A serum concentrations in the control group (A) and the experimental group (B) (*p<0.05, **p<0.01, ***p<0.001).
Figure 4
Figure 4. VEGF-A serum concentrations in the control group and the massaged group (*p<0.05, **p<0.01).
Figure 5
Figure 5. FGF-2 serum concentrations in the control group (A) and the massaged group (B).
Figure 6
Figure 6. FGF-2 serum concentrations in the control group and the massaged group.
Figure 7
Figure 7. Correlation analysis of the relationship between VEGF-A and FGF-2 serum levels (weeks 0-7).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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