Commando News issue 15 2019

The german made BLACKROLL Booster is a vibrating foam roller that gives great pain relief to all parts of
the body and can help with the recovery from injuries. It is simply an upgraded version of the trusty old foam
roller, enhanced by the centre vibration tube that can be inserted.
It has a more intense massage effect as a result of the controlled vibra - motion technology. The vibration
supports and intensifies the massage effect on multiple levels compared to a classic roller. On one hand, the
vibration ‘distracts’ the pain receptors, so that a targeted treatment of trigger points is experienced to be less
painful. This allows the targeted tissue to stay relaxed despite the pressure and therefore the massage can
reach into deeper tissue layers. A further advantage of the vibration is that it supports better blood flow. For
people with back injuries, it may take a little getting used to as the roller has quite a hard density. This
makes it a very effective tool but it might feel initially a bit uncomfortable if you go straight to the pain
effected areas. We figured if you start using it first on the lower parts of your body, like calfs or glutes to get
used to the vibration and massage effect, and only go towards the back and shoulder areas in the second
step, then it is a nice progression.
The intensity and frequency is adjusted by two buttons on the top of the roller, lower frequencies are good to
relax and recover your muscles, whereas the higher frequency levels are good for use during a warm up to
enhance fluid circulation and to get your neural system firing. The device turns off automatically after ten
minutes so it does not drain it’s battery in case it gets switched on accidentally in a suitcase while travelling.
When you turn it on for use, then it starts only after a couple of seconds, so you can get yourself into place.
I suggest trying the roller on a soft surface to start with as it jumps around and can make some noise.
I found much relief on my lower limp injuries, and it is great for sore muscles. Great for calves, achilles
tendons, glutes, upper leg and backside. Lower and thoracic back can be a little tricky to get it in the right
place, especially if you are experiencing pain. I suggest laying on a bed or lounge to get used to the roller
or even use it on a wall to be able to regulate the pressure. On quads, hamstrings, IT band and lats you can
get a great relief by releasing tension and targeting typical injuries and it definitely does a much better job
than a normal roller. It is compact and light enough to come travelling with you and the battery lasts for a
few hours. If it does go flat, then you can just charge it up via a USB cable just like your phone.
So, in summary it is a great product and well worth a try. It helps relief pain in several areas and with the
different settings can be good for recovery and rehabilitation.
26 COMMANDO NEWS ~ Edition 15 I 2019