Exercise recovery practices of wheelchair court sports athletes

Research that describes the practices of Paralympic athletes beyond training and competition, and how they periodise recovery is limited. This study investigated if and why athletes in wheelchair court sports (basketball, rugby and tennis) use recovery strategies, what types of strategies they use, and if the period of the season influences prevalence of use. A cross sectional questionnaire was developed to acquire data pertaining to individual characteristics, recovery habits, reasons for use/non-use, information on each specific recovery strategy used and lifestyle habits. 144 athletes (92 = international, 52 = national/club) completed the questionnaire online. In total, 85% (n = 122) of athletes reported using at least one type of recovery strategy, yet most specific types of recovery strategies were not popularly used (< 34% of recovery strategy users). The most commonly used type of recovery strategy was stretching (n = 117), while both stretching and heat-related recovery were the most highly rated types of recovery strategies (μ = 4.2/5). The three most prevalent reasons for use across all strategies were “reduces muscle soreness”, “reduces muscle tightness” and “reduces muscle spasms”. The prevalence of sleep complaints was also highlighted by 38% (n = 55) of respondents. This study highlights that while the frequent use of well-known recovery practices is positive, the lack of diversity in strategies implemented may have implications due to the specific requirements of exercise recovery. Therefore, strength and conditioning professionals should educate wheelchair-athletes further around this area and increase the range of recovery- and impairment- specific strategies used.