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

Immediate and Short-term Effects of TECAR Therapy and Cycle Ergometer on Recovery After Fatigue in Young Athletes: a Randomized Controlled Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare two recovery methods after fatigue in young athletes. It aims to find out if tecar therapy (TECAR) or cycle ergometer exercise can improve recovery after intense physical activity and help athletes return to their normal performance more quickly.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does TECAR or cycle ergometer improve physical performance after fatigue?

Do these methods reduce muscle pain and soreness after fatigue?

Researchers will compare TECAR with active recovery using a cycle ergometer to see which method is more effective.

Participants will:

Perform a series of jumps to induce fatigue

Be randomly assigned to one of the recovery methods

Complete physical tests before and after fatigue

Undergo simple measurements of muscle condition and pain

Report their level of effort and muscle soreness

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy Adult; Muscle Fatigue
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: Tecar therapy (capacitive mode); Behavioral: Active recovery using cycle ergometer

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 48
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Sandra Alcaraz Clariana, PhD PT; Phone Number: +34625434043; Email: m72alcls@uco.es
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Lourdes García Luque, PhD PT; Phone Number: +34627366324; Email: z12galul@uco.es

Study Locations

• Spain
  • Córdoba
    • Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain, 14011
      • Recruiting
      • Physiobalance
      • Contact: Sandra Alcaraz Clariana, PhD PT; Phone Number: +34625434043; Email: m72alcls@uco.es
      • Contact: Lourdes García Luque, PhD PT; Phone Number: +34627366324; Email: z12galul@uco.es
      • Principal Investigator: Sandra Alcaraz Clariana, PhD PT
      • Sub-Investigator: Lourdes García Luque, PhD PT

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: TECAR; Participants assigned to this group will receive tecar therapy (TECAR) for 20 minutes. TECAR will be applied using the capacitive mode only, combining manual mobile application and fixed automatic application. The intervention will be applied after a standardized fatigue protocol consisting of repeated drop jumps, which is identical for all participants.	Device: Tecar therapy (capacitive mode); TECAR is applied using capacitive radiofrequency energy for 20 minutes following a standardized fatigue protocol. The intervention is delivered using capacitive mode only, combining manual mobile application and fixed automatic application over the quadriceps region to promote recovery after exercise-induced fatigue.; Other Names: Capacitive and resistive electric transfer therapy. Radiofrequency therapy
Active Comparator: Active recovery (usual care); Participants assigned to this group will perform active recovery (usual care) consisting of continuous cycling on a cycle ergometer for 20 minutes at low intensity, not exceeding 2-3 on a 0-10 rating of perceived exertion scale. The intervention will be applied after a standardized fatigue protocol consisting of repeated drop jumps, which is identical for all participants. This intervention reflects standard recovery practices commonly used in athletic settings.	Behavioral: Active recovery using cycle ergometer; Active recovery consists of continuous cycling on a cycle ergometer for 20 minutes at low intensity, not exceeding 2-3 on a 0-10 rating of perceived exertion scale. This intervention is performed after a standardized fatigue protocol and reflects common recovery practices in athletic settings.; Other Names: Low-intensity cycling exercise

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Countermovement jump height	Vertical jump performance will be assessed using a countermovement jump test. Jump height will be measured using a validated mobile application after three attempts, and the mean value will be recorded.	Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, and immediately after intervention (20 minutes).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Muscle mechanical properties	Muscle mechanical properties will be assessed using a handheld myotonometer. Parameters will include muscle tone and stiffness measured at standardized anatomical locations of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, medial gastrocnemius, and lateral gastrocnemius.	Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, and immediately after intervention (20 minutes).
Pressure pain threshold	Pressure pain threshold will be assessed using a handheld algometer. Measurements will be performed at standardized anatomical locations of the rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, and medial gastrocnemius, and the mean of repeated measurements will be recorded.	Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, and immediately after intervention (20 minutes).
Rating of perceived exertion	Perceived exertion will be assessed using a 0-10 rating scale, where higher values indicate greater perceived effort.	Baseline (after warm-up), immediately after fatigue protocol, immediately after intervention (20 minutes), 12 hours, and 24 hours.
Delayed-onset muscle soreness.	Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) will be assessed using a 0-10 numeric rating scale, where 0 indicates no muscle soreness and 10 indicates the worst possible muscle soreness.	Baseline (after warm-up), 12 hours, and 24 hours.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Maimónides Biomedical Research Institute of Córdoba
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Sandra Alcaraz Clariana, PhD PT, Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC). Department of Nursing, Pharmacology and Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine and Nursing, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Dupuy O, Douzi W, Theurot D, Bosquet L, Dugue B. An Evidence-Based Approach for Choosing Post-exercise Recovery Techniques to Reduce Markers of Muscle Damage, Soreness, Fatigue, and Inflammation: A Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis. Front Physiol. 2018 Apr 26;9:403. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00403. eCollection 2018.
• Lettner J, Graventein L, Hakam HT, Ramadanov N, Becker R, Prill R. Assessment of Muscle Stiffness Using the MyotonPro: Effects of Fatigue on Vastus Lateralis and Medialis Muscles. J Pers Med. 2024 Mar 12;14(3):301. doi: 10.3390/jpm14030301.
• Nakamura M, Sato S, Kiyono R, Yahata K, Yoshida R, Kasahara K, Konrad A. The Effect of Capacitive and Resistive Electric Transfer Intervention on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness Induced by Eccentric Exercise. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 8;19(9):5723. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095723.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): April 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 26, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): April 23, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 23, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2026
• Last Verified: March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Muscle Strength; Athletes; Diathermy; Pressure pain threshold; Muscle Fatigue; Recovery of Function; Muscle soreness; Muscle mechanical properties; Countermovement jump
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Muscular Diseases; Neuromuscular Diseases; Musculoskeletal Pain; Body Temperature Changes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Signs and Symptoms; Fever; Myalgia
• Other Study ID Numbers: MGC24

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No