Effects of Cryotherapy and Foam Rolling Recovery Methods on Performance and Muscle Damage Indices in Young Male Soccer Players After Simulated Soccer Match

Background: Research is limited on the effectiveness of various post-soccer match recovery methods. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of active recovery methods on performance and muscle damage indices in young male soccer players. Methods: In this study, 21 male subjects (age 16.95 ± 2, height 175.29 ± 4, weight 65.99 ± 5) were selected and divided randomly into three recovery groups after a simulated soccer match. Foam roller recovery included massaging various muscle groups using a foam roller. Recovery by immersion in cold water involved immersing the body up to the neck in cold water at 15 °C. In inactive recovery, the subjects had no activity. The Yo-Yo recovery test, Sargent jump test, 20-m speed test, lactometer, and ELISA tests were used to measure the variables of aerobic power, explosive power, speed, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, and creatinine kinase, respectively. A two-way ANOVA test with repeated measures was used to determine the differences at a confidence interval of 95%. Results: A significant difference was observed between the foam roller recovery group and the control group 24 hours after the simulated soccer match in muscle damage indices (P value < 0.05). However, in the active recovery group comparison, no significant difference was observed in the performance indices (P value < 0.05). Conclusions: It seems that foam rolling recovery can be used as a useful way to accelerate recovery compared to water immersion recovery through a reduction in inflammatory responses.