Effects of Passive Recovery Methods After High-Intensity Cycling Exercise

Acute Effects of Five Passive Recovery Interventions Following High-Intensity Cycling Exercise: A Randomized Five-Period Crossover Trial

This randomized crossover trial will investigate the acute effects of five passive recovery interventions following a standardized high-intensity cycling exercise protocol. Participants will complete the standardized high-intensity cycling exercise protocol during five separate study sessions. Immediately after each exercise session, participants will receive one of five recovery interventions: compression therapy, vacuum therapy, kinesiology taping, passive rest, or classical massage. The order of the interventions will be randomized according to a balanced crossover sequence. Each participant will experience all five recovery interventions during the study period. Outcomes related to post-exercise recovery will be assessed across intervention periods.

This study is designed as a randomized, five-period, five-treatment crossover trial. All participants will complete a standardized high-intensity cycling exercise protocol during five separate study sessions. Following each cycling session, participants will receive one passive recovery intervention. The five recovery interventions are compression therapy, vacuum therapy, kinesiology taping, passive rest, and classical massage.

Participants will be randomized to one of five intervention sequences to balance the order of recovery interventions across the study period. Each intervention will be administered once to each participant, and all participants will receive all five interventions. The crossover design allows each participant to serve as his or her own control when comparing the acute effects of the recovery interventions.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy adult volunteers aged 18-30 years
• Able to perform high-intensity cycling exercise
• No musculoskeletal injury within the last six months
• No known cardiovascular, neurological, or metabolic disease
• Not using medication that may affect exercise performance, pain perception, or recovery
• Willing to attend all five study sessions
• Willing to receive all five passive recovery interventions
• Provided written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of acute or chronic musculoskeletal injury
• History of cardiovascular, neurological, respiratory, or metabolic disease
• Contraindication to high-intensity exercise
• Contraindication to compression therapy, vacuum therapy, kinesiology taping, passive rest, or classical massage
• Skin allergy, open wound, dermatological disease, or sensitivity to kinesiology tape
• Use of analgesic, anti-inflammatory, muscle relaxant, or performance-enhancing medication during the study period
• Participation in another exercise or recovery intervention study during the study period
• Failure to attend all study sessions or comply with study procedures