The Manta Foam Roller - A Cyclists Friend
Low back pain is the most common overuse injury in cyclists. A study looking at over 100 professional road cyclists found 58% had suffered with low back pain in the last 12 months. The Manta foam roller is the only foam roller that is safe and effective for use on the lower back, due to its unique design that allows it to mould around the spine. This means it can target and treat the paraspinal muscles which sit deeper than the protruding parts of the spine.
Foam rollers have become a staple of both the professional and amateur cyclists kit bag, for many reasons and has been shown by scientific research not to be just a fad.
The two central prongs of the Manta roller - either side of the spinal groove - focus the pressure deep into the tight muscles of the low back reducing myofascial adhesions and muscle tension resulting in better shock absorption and less pain and discomfort.
The central prongs are not only useful to use on the hard to reach spinal muscles, but are also excellent for the larger muscle groups such as the gluteals, quadriceps and calves. With 39% of the power when cycling coming from your quads and 27% from your gluteal muscles it is unsurprising that they can often become tight, which can have a detrimental effect on performance. The Manta foam roller focuses the pressure, penetrating deeper into muscles than other rollers, leading to a more profound myofascial release. This allows these muscles to maintain their natural elasticity which is extremely important for both power and endurance.
Interestingly, the second most common overuse injury in cyclists is anterior knee pain. Foam rolling the quadriceps before exercise has been shown to increase the range of movement at the knee which may help prevent injury. The quadricep muscles when tight can also increase tension through the patella tendon which can predispose to patellar tendinopathy aka anterior knee pain - not what you want if you’re training for an event or even if you just use cycling for stress management.
Foam rollers have become a staple of both the professional and amateur cyclists kit bag, for many reasons and has been shown by scientific research not to be just a fad.
The two central prongs of the Manta roller - either side of the spinal groove - focus the pressure deep into the tight muscles of the low back reducing myofascial adhesions and muscle tension resulting in better shock absorption and less pain and discomfort.
The central prongs are not only useful to use on the hard to reach spinal muscles, but are also excellent for the larger muscle groups such as the gluteals, quadriceps and calves. With 39% of the power when cycling coming from your quads and 27% from your gluteal muscles it is unsurprising that they can often become tight, which can have a detrimental effect on performance. The Manta foam roller focuses the pressure, penetrating deeper into muscles than other rollers, leading to a more profound myofascial release. This allows these muscles to maintain their natural elasticity which is extremely important for both power and endurance.
Interestingly, the second most common overuse injury in cyclists is anterior knee pain. Foam rolling the quadriceps before exercise has been shown to increase the range of movement at the knee which may help prevent injury. The quadricep muscles when tight can also increase tension through the patella tendon which can predispose to patellar tendinopathy aka anterior knee pain - not what you want if you’re training for an event or even if you just use cycling for stress management.
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