RT journal article
T1 Acute Effects of Nutritional and Physical Recovery Strategies on Exercise Performance, Muscle Damage, and Fatigue in Elite Basketball Players: A Pilot Randomized Crossover Trial
A1 Marín Galindo, Alberto
A1 Perez-Bey, Alejandro
A1 Escudier-Vázquez, Juan Manuel
A1 Velázquez-Díaz, Daniel
A1 Calleja-González, Julio
A1 Vaz-Pardal, Carmen
A1 Corral Pérez, Juan
A1 Ponce González, Jesús Gustavo
A2 Didáctica de la Educación FísicaPlástica y Musical
K1 cold-water immersion
K1 recovery strategies
K1 nutrition
K1 team sports
K1 exercise-induced muscle damage
AB Background: Due to the congested competition calendar and the high physical demands of elite basketball, the selection of effective recovery strategies is essential to optimize performance and reduce exercise-induced fatigue and muscle damage. This pilot study aimed to examine the acute effects of different nutritional and physical recovery strategies on exercise performance, muscle damage, and perceived fatigue and exertion in elite basketball players. Methods: Fifteen elite male basketball players participated in this pilot randomized crossover trial and completed four recovery conditions: cold-water immersion (CWI), active recovery (ACT), protein–carbohydrate supplementation (SUP), and placebo (PLA). Following a basketball-specific fatigue protocol, creatine kinase, countermovement jump performance, isometric strength, 10 m sprint, and 4 × 10 m shuttle run tests were assessed at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and 24 h post-exercise. Perceived fatigue and rate of perceived exertion were measured at baseline, immediately post-exercise, immediately after the recovery intervention, and 24 h post-exercise. Results: The three recovery methods attenuated the 24 h exercise-induced increase in CK compared with the placebo condition (p > 0.05). CWI, SUP and ACT decreased fatigue and RPE immediately after their application (p < 0.05), while PLA kept them elevated. CWI was associated with a significant improvement in 4 × 10 m SRT performance (p = 0.027). Conclusions: Nutritional supplementation and physical recovery strategies effectively attenuated exercise-induced muscle damage and fatigue in elite basketball players. However, CWI demonstrated the most pronounced acute benefits for physical performance recovery.
PB MDPI
SN 2075-1729
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38726
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/38726
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 08-nov-2026