Athlete Recovery Strategies Flashcards

Cold water immersion (CWI) is thought to impair long-term strength adaptations primarily through which mechanism?

Answer: Reducing satellite cell activity and blunting mTOR signaling

CWI attenuates acute inflammation necessary for hypertrophy, suppressing satellite cell activity and mTOR-driven protein synthesis adaptations.

According to recovery periodization principles, when should the highest recovery investment be scheduled relative to a training block?

Answer: After the highest training load microcycles

Recovery resources should be concentrated after peak load microcycles to promote supercompensation and prevent overreaching.

Which electrolyte is most critical to replace following prolonged sweat loss to restore fluid balance and plasma volume?

Answer: Sodium

Sodium is the primary extracellular electrolyte governing fluid retention, and its replacement drives thirst and plasma volume restoration after sweating.

A sport scientist uses the Profile of Mood States (POMS) to monitor athletes weekly. What primary recovery-related construct is this tool designed to assess?

Answer: Psychological well-being and mood disturbance

The POMS measures six mood dimensions and is validated as a subjective marker of psychological fatigue, overtraining, and recovery status.

Active recovery at low intensity (e.g., 30–40% VO2max cycling) primarily aids recovery through which mechanism?

Answer: Enhancing lactate clearance and blood flow without adding stress

Low-intensity active recovery promotes blood flow and lactate oxidation without imposing additional training stress on recovering tissues.

Which recovery tool best addresses central nervous system (CNS) fatigue as distinct from peripheral muscular fatigue?

Answer: Adequate sleep and psychological downregulation

CNS fatigue is primarily restored through sleep, mental rest, and stress reduction, not peripheral physiological interventions.

An athlete's morning resting heart rate is consistently elevated 8–10 bpm above baseline for 3 days. This is most likely indicative of:

Answer: Accumulated fatigue or early overreaching

A sustained resting HR elevation above individual baseline is a classic sign of sympathetic nervous system overactivation associated with overreaching or inadequate recovery.