What Researchers Did
This review examined the scientific evidence for the effectiveness of various recovery modalities in enhancing between-training session recovery in elite athletes.
What They Found
The review found no substantial scientific evidence to support the use of common recovery modalities, such as massage or active recovery, for improving between-training session recovery in elite athletes. Studies often focused on blood lactate removal or delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) in untrained subjects, which do not accurately reflect the recovery needs of elite athletes.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian athletes should be aware that many popular recovery modalities lack strong scientific backing for improving between-training session recovery. Prioritizing fundamental recovery strategies like adequate rest may be more beneficial than relying on unproven methods.
Canadian Relevance
This review does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The review highlighted that much of the existing research on recovery modalities used models and subjects (e.g., untrained individuals) that do not accurately reflect the real-world recovery circumstances of elite athletes.