Evaluation Of Sports Performance Recovery Methods Used By High School Athletes

The use of recovery modalities has been widely researched among adult populations, however, uncertainty remains regarding the extent to which high school athletes are exposed to and practice recovery methods. PURPOSE: This study aimed to conduct an exploratory investigation into the use of recovery modalities among high school athletes. METHODS: Three hundred ninety-seven Rhode Island high school athletes between the ages of 14-19 (age: 17.1 ± 1.2 years) were invited to complete a cross-sectional online survey to assess their sport recovery and nutritional supplementation knowledge. Bivariate analyses comparing pairs of categorical variables were conducted using chi-squared tests with statistical significance set to a p-value of p ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: Ice baths were the preferred method of recovery and the only one that was significantly different between modalities. Overall, chi-square analysis revealed male high school athletes utilized ice baths as a recovery strategy significantly more (p < 0.001) when compared to their female counterparts . Within categories, male basketball, soccer and cross-country athletes reported using ice baths significantly more (p ≤ 0.05) often than other athletes[EO4] . Female high school lacrosse, cross-country and basketball athletes utilized ice baths at a significantly higher frequency (p ≤ 0.05) compared to other athletes. Despite 39.5% of athletes reporting access to a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist or a nutritionist, this access did not have an impact on recovery modality choice. Furthermore, less than 2.0% of high school athletes, who have access to a nutritionist, reported that they incorporate nutritional practices as a part of their recovery regimen. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of these recovery modalities have produced conflicting results in studies involving adult athletes and have not yet been thoroughly explored in high school populations. Additionally, while nutritional practices are thought to have a significant role in recovery by researchers, few high school athletes incorporate this into their recovery strategies despite one-third of them having access to a nutritionist. Future research and educational programs should be designed to investigate and disseminate information on evidence-based recovery strategies in teenage athletes. Clean Competition Fund by The Rhode Island Foundation