Recovery Strategies and Diurnal Variation in Adolescent Judokas (RECOV-JUDO)

May 8, 2026 updated by: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özgür EKEN, Inonu University

Comparative Effects of Sports Massage, Passive Rest, and Static Stretching on Physiological and Neuromuscular Recovery in Adolescent Judokas: The Role of Diurnal Variation

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of three different recovery strategies-sports massage (SM), static stretching (SS), and passive rest (PR)-on physiological and neuromuscular recovery in adolescent male judokas. Additionally, the study investigates the role of diurnal variation (morning vs. evening sessions) on recovery performance.

Thirteen competitive adolescent judokas participated in a randomized crossover design. Recovery was assessed using physiological markers such as heart rate (HR) and blood lactate (La-) levels, as well as neuromuscular performance through countermovement jump (CMJ) and medicine ball throw tests. The findings aim to identify the most effective recovery modality for young athletes to optimize performance and prevent overtraining during intensive training or competition schedules.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study employed a randomized, crossover experimental design to evaluate the efficacy of different recovery modalities in adolescent judokas. Participants underwent three distinct recovery protocols-Sports Massage (SM), Static Stretching (SS), and Passive Rest (PR)-following a standardized high-intensity exercise bout designed to induce fatigue.

Each recovery session lasted 15 minutes. To account for the influence of circadian rhythms, the protocols were conducted during both morning (08:00-10:00) and evening (17:00-19:00) sessions, with a minimum of 48 hours between sessions to ensure full recovery.

Physiological recovery was monitored through blood lactate concentration (La-) and heart rate (HR) measurements taken at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at specific intervals during the recovery period. Neuromuscular performance was assessed through the Countermovement Jump (CMJ) test to measure lower-body power and the Medicine Ball Throw test for upper-body explosive strength. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the recovery rates and performance maintenance across the three modalities and two diurnal time points.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
13

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Malatya
      • Malatya, Malatya, Turkey (Türkiye), 44280
        • Inonu University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Active male judo athletes with at least orange belt
  • Aged between 10-13 years
  • Having at least 2 years of experience in judo training
  • Active participation in national or international competitions
  • Voluntary participation and signing the informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any chronic disease or cardiovascular problems
  • Upper or lower limb injuries within last 6 months that might affect performance
  • Use of performance-enhancing supplements or medications during the study period
  • Smoking or regular alcohol consumption

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Sport Massage (SM)
Participants received a 10- minute sports massage focusing on the lower and upper body muscles
Other: Sports Massage
A 10-minute sports massage protocol was applied to the major muscle groups of the lower and upper body, specifically those involved in judo movements, to facilitate recovery.
Other Names:
  • SM
Experimental: Static Stretching (SS)
Participants performed 10 minutes of static stretching exercises targeting major muscle groups.
Other: Static Stretching
A 10-minute static stretching session involving major muscle groups. Each stretch was held for a duration consistent with clinical standards to the point of mild discomfort
Other Names:
  • SS
Experimental: Passive Rest (PR)
Participants rested quietly in a seated position for 10 minutes
Other: Passive Rest
Participants rested quietly in a seated position for 10 minutes in a neutral environment, with no physical activity or external stimulation.
Other Names:
  • PS

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
blood lactate concentration
Time Frame: Measured at 4 time points: Baseline (before exercise), immediately after exercise, 5 minutes after recovery protocol, and 10 minutes after recovery protocol.
Lactate levels were measured to assess the physiological recovery of the participants after judo-specific tasks.
Measured at 4 time points: Baseline (before exercise), immediately after exercise, 5 minutes after recovery protocol, and 10 minutes after recovery protocol.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Countermovement jump height
Time Frame: Baselibe (pre-post) and after 10-minute recovery period
Measured in centimeters to assess lower-body explosive power and neuromuscular fatigue
Baselibe (pre-post) and after 10-minute recovery period
Handgrip strength
Time Frame: Baseline (pre-test) and after the 10-minute recovery period
measured in kilograms using a hand dynamometer for both dominant and non-dominant hands to assess upper-body strength
Baseline (pre-test) and after the 10-minute recovery period
Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion
Time Frame: Immediately after the judo match
Subjective assessment of effort using the 6-20 Borg scale
Immediately after the judo match

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Inonu University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Özgür Eken, Associate Professor, Inonu University, Faculty of Sport Sciences

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 5, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
April 10, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
August 25, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 8, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 2024/5204

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Data contains sensitive information

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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