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

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

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

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

13

Phase

  • 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

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
Intervention / Treatment
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

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

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

Inonu University

Investigators

  • 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)

March 5, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

April 10, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

August 25, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 8, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 8, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 14, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 8, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID 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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