Acute Effects of Nutritional and Physical Recovery Strategies on Exercise Performance, Muscle Damage, and Fatigue In Elite Basketball Players: A Randomized Crossover Trial

Backround: Due to the congested competition calendar and the high physical demands of elite basketball, the selection of effective recovery strategies is essential to optimize performance and reduce exercise-induced fatigue and muscle damage. This study aimed to examine the acute effects of different nutritional and physical recovery strategies on exercise performance, muscle damage, and perceived fatigue and exertion in elite basketball players. Method: Fifteen elite male basketball players participated in a randomized crossover trial and completed four recovery conditions: cold-water immersion (CWI), active recovery (ACT), protein–carbohydrate supplementation (SUP), and placebo (PLA). Following a basketball-specific fatigue protocol, creatine kinase, countermovement jump performance, isometric strength, 10 m sprint, and 4 × 10 m shuttle run test were assessed at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and 24 h post-exercise. Perceived fatigue and rate of perceived exertion were measured at baseline, immediately post-exercise, immediately after the recovery intervention, and 24 h post-exercise. Results: The three recovery methods prevented the 24h exercise-induced CK increase observed in the PLA condition (p>0.05). The CWI, SUP and ACT decreased fatigue and RPE immediately after their application (p< 0.05), while the PLA kept them elevated. CWI significantly improved 4x10mSRT time (p=0.027) 24h. Conclusion: Nutritional supplementation and physical recovery strategies effectively attenuated exercise-induced muscle damage and fatigue in elite basketball players. However, CWI demonstrated the most pronounced acute benefits for physical performance recovery.