A Periodised Recovery Strategy Framework for the Elite Football Player

Recovery techniques deployed in the global game are diverse in nature reflecting the various challenges at play when developing a recovery strategy framework. Gaps in scientific research regarding efficacy of some recovery techniques together with the limited data derived on elite players in the field represent key challenges to those faced with developing recovery strategy frameworks. When to apply different techniques to accelerate the stress-recovery-adaptation continuum has also emerged as a ‘hot’ topic in the area. This has raised the idea (and the challenge) of using recovery strategies in a manner that is periodised to mirror the demands of the sport to adequately recover from the stress, but also balance the need for an adaptive response. In this article, I will attempt to shed some light on the notion of periodised recovery within the context of football.