Recovery After Fatigue in Young Athletes: Comparison Between TECAR Therapy and Cycle Ergometer"

This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two recovery strategies following exercise-induced fatigue in young athletes: tecar therapy (TECAR) and active recovery (usual care) using a cycle ergometer.

Exercise-induced fatigue can reduce physical performance and increase muscle soreness, which may negatively affect athletic performance and increase injury risk. This study aims to compare the effects of two commonly used recovery strategies on physical performance, muscle mechanical properties, and perceived recovery.

Participants will be physically active young athletes over 18 years of age, familiar with plyometric or jump-based activities. They will be recruited through convenience sampling. Individuals with recent musculoskeletal injuries or those who have performed intense physical exercise within 24 hours prior to testing will be excluded.

All procedures will be conducted in a controlled environment by trained personnel following a standardized protocol. After providing informed consent, participants will undergo baseline assessments, including physical performance tests, measurements of muscle mechanical properties, and subjective perception of effort and muscle soreness.

A standardized warm-up will be performed prior to testing, consisting of low-intensity aerobic activity for approximately five minutes, aiming to reach a moderate level of perceived exertion.

Participants will then complete a fatigue protocol consisting of repeated drop jumps from a fixed height of approximately 0.6 meters. The protocol will be organized into multiple sets with controlled rest intervals between repetitions and sets in order to induce acute neuromuscular fatigue in a standardized manner.

Immediately after the fatigue protocol, the same assessments will be repeated to evaluate the acute effects of fatigue.

Participants will then be randomly assigned to one of the two recovery interventions:

TECAR: application of capacitive and resistive electric transfer using radiofrequency energy for 20 minutes

Active recovery (usual care): continuous cycling on a cycle ergometer at low-to-moderate intensity for 20 minutes, reflecting standard recovery practices commonly used in athletic settings

Following the assigned recovery intervention, all assessments will be repeated to evaluate recovery effects.

In addition, subjective measures of muscle soreness and perceived effort will be collected at 12 and 24 hours after the intervention to assess short-term recovery.

Outcome measures will include objective indicators of physical performance and muscle mechanical properties, assessed using a handheld myotonometer, as well as pressure pain threshold (a measure of sensitivity to pressure), and subjective measures related to perceived effort and muscle soreness.

Statistical analysis will include descriptive statistics and inferential analysis to compare differences between groups and over time. A two-way analysis of variance (group × time) will be used to evaluate the effects of the recovery intervention and measurement time points, including potential interaction effects. Statistical significance will be set at p < 0.05.

This study aims to provide evidence on the comparative effectiveness of TECAR and active recovery strategies, contributing to the optimization of recovery protocols in athletic populations.

Inclusion criteria

• Adults aged 18 years or older
• Engaging in regular physical activity
• Experience with sports involving jumping or plyometric exercises

Exclusion criteria

• Performed intense physical exercise within 24 hours before the study
• Planned to perform intense physical exercise within 24 hours after the study
• Presence of muscle soreness at the beginning of the study
• Musculoskeletal injury in the previous 6 months