Cryotherapy And Sport Massage In Volleyball Athlete Recovery: An Evidence-Based Review
Keywords:
Cryotherapy; Sport Massage; Recovery; Volleyball Athletes; Evidence-Based ReviewAbstract
Volleyball is a high-intensity sport characterized by repetitive jumping, spiking, blocking, and rapid directional changes that frequently lead to muscle fatigue, exercise-induced muscle damage, inflammation, and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). Effective recovery strategies are therefore essential to maintain athlete performance and reduce injury risk. This study aimed to analyze and compare the effectiveness of cryotherapy and sport massage in the recovery of volleyball athletes through an evidence-based review approach. The review followed evidence-based practice principles and PRISMA guidelines by examining scientific literature published between 2015 and 2025 from Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and SINTA-indexed journals. A total of 127 articles were initially identified, and 24 studies met the inclusion criteria for final analysis. The findings indicated that cryotherapy demonstrated superior physiological recovery effects, with 88% of studies reporting reductions in DOMS, 79% showing decreased inflammatory markers, and 54% identifying improvements in neuromuscular recovery and jump performance. Meanwhile, sport massage showed stronger effects on subjective recovery, with 75% of studies reporting improved perceived recovery and fatigue reduction, while 58% demonstrated enhanced flexibility and reduced muscle stiffness. The evidence suggests that cryotherapy is more effective for acute physiological restoration, whereas sport massage contributes substantially to psychological recovery and movement quality. Therefore, combining both modalities may provide a comprehensive recovery strategy for optimizing volleyball athlete performance and readiness during training and competition.
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