Recovery Strategies After Sport Competitions: A Comparison of Modern Methods and Their Effects on Performance : A Systematic Review

Authors

  • Amer Mishaal Faihan Affiliation * Republic Of Iraq Ministry Of Education General Directorate Of Education In Anbar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61132/nakula.v3i6.2388

Keywords:

Competition, Method, Performance, Recovery, Sport

Abstract

Numerous recovery strategies can be found nowadays and it is difficult for an athlete or coach to choose the best to optimize the recovery process after a sport competition. The present systematic review is aimed to determine the effect of modern recovery strategies after a competition on subsequent performance. The databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and SPORT Discus were searched from May 21 to May 30, 2021. Types of participants considered were healthy people practising any sport, including an intervention with a modern recovery strategy after a competition that assessed a sporting performance parameter. Two reviewers selected the studies, extracted data and appraised the quality of the included studies. In total, 25 studies with 311 participants met the eligibility criteria. According to the results, cold water immersion showed positive effects on subsequent sport performance after competition, especially in time-trial-based disciplines, although the magnitude of this effect depended on the intensity of the preceding exercise and the water temperature. Active recovery was effective only when the subsequent bout was 24 h after the competition. Massage, compression garments and stretching were not effective to improve performance during the recovery period. Based on the present review, cold water immersion is the most used and effective method to improve performance after a sport competition. These findings will contribute toward a better understanding of modern recovery strategies and provide valuable information to athletes and coaches on how to optimize recovery after competition

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

AbdulJabbar, M. A., Ali, M. M., Khalaf, Y. A., Hammad, S. H., Awad, A. K., Mushref, A. J., & Ali, O. A. (2025). El efecto del entrenamiento mental (visualización mental y enfoque de atención) en la precisión y velocidad del rendimiento ofensivo en jugadores de esgrima. Retos, 70, 1097-1113. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v70.117026

Ali, O. A., Mushref, A. J., Hummadi, J. N., & Awad, A. (2024). The effect of a proposed training curriculum to develop some special physical abilities and the accuracy of the movement scoring skill for the Ramadi football club players. Retos, 61, 193-200. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v61.107271

Bezuglov, E., Lazarev, A., Khaitin, V., Chegin, S., Tikhonova, A., Talibov, O., Gerasimuk, D., & Waśkiewicz, Z. (2021). The prevalence of use of various post-exercise recovery methods after training among elite endurance athletes. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(21), 11698. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182111698

Bonilla, D. A., Pérez-Idárraga, A., Odriozola-Martínez, A., & Kreider, R. B. (2021). The 4R's framework of nutritional strategies for post-exercise recovery: A review with emphasis on the new generation of carbohydrates. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(1), 103. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18010103

Boullosa, D. (2021). Post-activation performance enhancement strategies in sport: A brief review for practitioners. Human Movement. https://doi.org/10.5114/hm.2021.103280

Braun-Trocchio, R., Graybeal, J. A., Kreutzer, A., Warfield, E., Renteria, J., Harrison, K., Williams, A., Moss, K., & Shah, M. (2022). Recovery strategies in endurance athletes. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology, 7(1), 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk7010022

Calleja-González, J., Bird, S. P., Huyghe, T., Jukic, I., Cuzzolin, F., Cos, F., Marqués-Jiménez, D., Milanovic, L., Sampaio, J., López-Laval, I., Ostojic, S., Jones, M. T., Alcaraz, P., Schelling, X., Delextrat, A., Singh, M., Charest, J., Freitas, T., Torres Ronda, L., Petway, A., Medina, D., Tramullas, A., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Terrados, N., & McLellan, C. (2021). The recovery umbrella in the world of elite sport: Do not forget the coaching and performance staff. Sports, 9(12), 169. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9120169

Calleja-González, J., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Miguel-Ortega, Á., Marqués-Jiménez, D., Del Valle, M., Ostojic, S., Sampaio, J., Terrados, N., & Refoyo, I. (2021). Post-exercise recovery methods focus on young soccer players: A systematic review. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 505149. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.505149

Calleja-González, J., Mielgo-Ayuso, J., Sampaio, J., Delextrat, A., Ostojic, S., Marqués-Jiménez, D., Arratibel, I., Sánchez-Ureña, B., Dupont, G., Schelling, X., & Terrados, N. (2018). Brief ideas about evidence-based recovery in team sports. Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation, 14(6), 952-958. https://doi.org/10.12965/jer.1836244.122

Chetry, P., Deori, L. A., Das, P., & Kandhan, S. L. (2025). Swara yoga and psycho-physiological recovery: A review of nasal cycle science. Yoga Mimamsa. https://doi.org/10.4103/ym.ym_8_25

Cullen, M. F. L., Casazza, G. A., & Davis, B. A. (2021). Passive recovery strategies after exercise: A narrative literature review of the current evidence. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 20(7), 351-358. https://doi.org/10.1249/JSR.0000000000000859

Dang, T. T., Nguyen, N. A. T., Nguyen, V. T. T., & Dang, L. T. H. (2022). A two-stage multi-criteria supplier selection model for sustainable automotive supply chain under uncertainty. Axioms, 11(5), 228. https://doi.org/10.3390/axioms11050228

Daniels, C. J., Rajpal, S., Greenshields, J. T., Rosenthal, G. L., Chung, E. H., Terrin, M., & Big Ten COVID-19 Cardiac Registry Investigators. (2021). Prevalence of clinical and subclinical myocarditis in competitive athletes with recent SARS-CoV-2 infection: Results from the Big Ten COVID-19 cardiac registry. JAMA Cardiology, 6(9), 1078-1087. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamacardio.2021.2065

Dupuy, O., Douzi, W., Theurot, D., Bosquet, L., & Dugué, B. (2018). An evidence-based approach for choosing post-exercise recovery techniques to reduce markers of muscle damage, soreness, fatigue, and inflammation: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Frontiers in Physiology, 9, 403. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2018.00403

Fletcher, D. J., Boller, M., Burkitt‐Creedon, J. M., Fausak, E., Van Noord, M. G., Mears, K., & Epstein, S. E. (2024). 2024 RECOVER guidelines: Methods, evidence identification, evaluation, and consensus process for development of treatment recommendations. Journal of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, 34, 3-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/vec.13388

Flood, K., Wilson, D., & Renou-Wilson, F. (2025). Evidence synthesis and knowledge integration for sustainable peatland management. Land, 14(7), 1397. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14071397

Gaertner, R. J., Klink, E. S., Benz, A. B., Denk, B. F., Meier, M., Wienhold, S., & Pruessner, J. C. (2025). Patients with borderline personality disorder show initially reduced psychophysiological relaxation levels but intact relaxation response. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 152618. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152618

Hakak Moghaddam Torbati, A., Abbasnezhad, L., & Tahami, E. (2017). Determination of the best recovery based on muscles synergy patterns and lactic acid. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, 12(1), 15-24. https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2017.121.15

Hammood, Y. M., Awad, A. K., Ali, O. A., Mushref, A. J., & Hummadi, J. N. (2024). Measuring the aggressive behavior of the teams in the Iraqi Premier League in football and its relation to the results and ranking of the league for the 2022-2023 season. Sportske Nauke i Zdravlje, 14(2), 127-134. https://doi.org/10.7251/SSH2402127H

Hussein Fayyad, F., Kamees, I. S., Hammood, M. Y., Ali, O. A., Mushref, A. J., Awad, A. K., & Shanta, A. (2025). Construir y legalizar una prueba para medir el nivel de agilidad futbolística de los jugadores jóvenes. Retos, 68, 1578-1590. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v68.116368

Joseph, A., Waller, M., Watson, T., Garza, T., & Bigliassi, M. (2025). Psychophysiological profiling of elite cricket athletes. Performance Enhancement & Health, 13(4), 100349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.peh.2025.100349

Khalaf, Y. A., AbdulJabbar, M. A., & Ali, O. A. (2025). The effect of sports job burnout on the performance of workers in student activities departments in Iraqi universities. Retos, 66, 86-95. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v66.113271

Kim, J., Yu, S., Detrick, R., & Li, N. (2025). Exploring students' perspectives on Generative AI-assisted academic writing. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-024-12878-7

Kolaski, K., Romeiser Logan, L., & Ioannidis, J. P. (2023). Guidance to best tools and practices for systematic reviews. Journal of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, 16(2), 241-273. https://doi.org/10.3233/PRM-230019

Li, W. C., Zhang, J., Braithwaite, G., & Kearney, P. (2023). Quick coherence technique facilitating commercial pilots' psychophysiological resilience to the impact of COVID-19. Ergonomics. https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2022.2139416

Li, W. C., Zhang, J., Kearney, P., & Braithwaite, G. (2021, July). Psychophysical coherence training regulating air traffic controller's heart rate variability and resilience to fatigue. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction (pp. 142-150). Cham: Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-77932-0_12

Ljungqvist, O., de Boer, H. D., Balfour, A., Fawcett, W. J., Lobo, D. N., Nelson, G., & Demartines, N. (2021). Opportunities and challenges for the next phase of enhanced recovery after surgery: A review. JAMA Surgery, 156(8), 775-784. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2021.0586

Métais, A., Omarjee, M., Valero, B., Gleich, A., Mekki, A., Henry, A., & Schlatter, S. (2025). Determining the influence of an intervention of stress management on medical students' levels of psychophysiological stress: The protocol of the PROMESS-Stress clinical trial. BMC Medical Education, 25(1), 225. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-06344-8

Mohammed Hammood, Y., Hussein Rashid, A., & Adham Ali, O. (2025). The effect of a proposed training method using play exercises to develop specific agility and skill performance in football. Retos, 63, 719-728. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v63.111095

Mohammed, K. J., Suleiman, K. I., Naser, M. M., Ali, O. A., & Ali, O. (2025). The effect of colorful and varied visual skill exercises on the development of sensory perception and complex skill performance among futsal players. Retos, 69, 1226-1239. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v69.113248

Myles, P. S., Shulman, M. A., Reilly, J., Kasza, J., & Romero, L. (2022). Measurement of quality of recovery after surgery using the 15-item quality of recovery scale: A systematic review and meta-analysis. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 128(6), 1029-1039. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bja.2022.03.009

Nii Laryeafio, M., & Ogbewe, O. C. (2023). Ethical consideration dilemma: Systematic review of ethics in qualitative data collection through interviews. Journal of Ethics in Entrepreneurship and Technology, 3(2), 94-110. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEET-09-2022-0014

Omar, A. F., Hammadi, W. K., Moseekh, L. Z., Muhammad, K. M., Saleh, M. M., & Ali, O. A. (2025). The impact of cognitive training on field intelligence growth and some composite skills of advanced football players. Retos, 66, 46-58. https://doi.org/10.47197/retos.v66.113234

Peek, R., Moore, L., & Arnold, R. (2023). Psychophysiological fidelity: A comparative study of stress responses to real and simulated clinical emergencies. Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15155

Randell, R. K., Clifford, T., Drust, B., Moss, S. L., Unnithan, V. B., De Ste Croix, M. B., & Rollo, I. (2021). Physiological characteristics of female soccer players and health and performance considerations: A narrative review. Sports Medicine, 51(7), 1377-1399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01458-1

Tamantini, C., Cordella, F., Lauretti, C., Di Luzio, F. S., Campagnola, B., Cricenti, L., & Zollo, L. (2023). Tailoring upper-limb robot-aided orthopedic rehabilitation on patients' psychophysiological state. IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, 31, 3297-3306. https://doi.org/10.1109/TNSRE.2023.3298381

Tamantini, C., Cordella, F., Scotto di Luzio, F., Lauretti, C., Campagnola, B., Santacaterina, F., & Zollo, L. (2024). A fuzzy-logic approach for longitudinal assessment of patients' psychophysiological state: An application to upper-limb orthopedic robot-aided rehabilitation. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, 21(1), 202. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12984-024-01501-y

Wang, C. N., Nguyen, N. A. T., & Dang, T. T. (2022). Offshore wind power station (OWPS) site selection using a two-stage MCDM-based spherical fuzzy set approach. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08257-2

Zhang, J., Li, W. C., Braithwaite, G., & Blundell, J. (2024). Practice effects of a breathing technique on pilots' cognitive and stress-associated heart rate variability during flight operations. Stress. https://doi.org/10.1080/10253890.2024.2361253

Downloads

Published

2025-09-15

How to Cite

Amer Mishaal Faihan. (2025). Recovery Strategies After Sport Competitions: A Comparison of Modern Methods and Their Effects on Performance : A Systematic Review. Jurnal Nakula : Pusat Ilmu Pendidikan, Bahasa Dan Ilmu Sosial, 3(6), 291–306. https://doi.org/10.61132/nakula.v3i6.2388

Similar Articles

<< < 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.