In order to achieve optimal performance, endurance athletes need to implement a variety of recovery strategies that are specific to their training and competition. Recovery is a multidimensional process involving physiological, psychological, emotional, social, and behavioral aspects. The purpose of the study was to examine current implementation, beliefs, and sources of information associated with recovery strategies in endurance athletes. Participants included 264 self-identified endurance athletes (male = 122, female = 139) across 11 different sports including placing top three overall in competition (n = 55) and placing in the top three in their age group or division (n = 113) during the past year. Endurance athletes in the current study preferred hydration, nutrition, sleep, and rest in terms of use, belief, and effectiveness of the recovery strategy. Female endurance athletes use more recovery strategies for training than males (p = 0.043, d = 0.25), but not in competition (p = 0.137, d = 0.19). For training, top three finishers overall (p < 0.001, d = 0.61) and by division (p < 0.001, d = 0.57), used more recovery strategies than those placing outside the top three. Similar findings were reported for competition in top three finishers overall (p = 0.008, d = 0.41) and by division (p < 0.001, d = 0.45). These athletes are relying on the people around them such as coaches (48.3%) and fellow athletes (47.5%) along with websites (32.7%) for information and recommendations. Endurance athletes should be educated on other strategies to address the multidimensionality of recovery. These findings will be useful for healthcare professionals, practitioners, and coaches in understanding recovery strategies with endurance athletes.

Athletes use psychological skills such as imagery and relaxation to decrease stress, cope with competitive anxiety, and achieve an optimal state of arousal. There is conflicting literature on how team and individual sport athletes use these skills, with some saying that individual sport athletes have better capabilities and others saying team sport athletes use imagery more frequently. The current study analyzed sport type differences in the use of relaxation and performance imagery among NCAA Division I (DI) athletes. This study included 117 NCAA DI athletes, including team sport (n = 72) and individual sport (n = 45). Participants completed a modified version of The Deliberate Relaxation for Sport Survey through Qualtrics. Results indicated there is a statistically significant difference in the type of relaxation technique used based on the individual’s sport type. Team sport athletes used muscle relaxation (p = 0.034), eastern relaxation (p = 0.014), and stretching (p = 0.020) more frequently than individual sport athletes. Additionally, individual sport athletes used performance imagery more often for mental focus than team sport athletes (p = 0.012). There were no differences between sport types in the level of deliberate practice of relaxation and performance imagery. Athletes used a variety of methods to learn both imagery and relaxation skills and have been using these for an average of four years. The majority of participants (n = 67) did not work with a sport psychology professional, but their school has one. This study supports the use of individualized intervention programs to help athletes use relaxation and imagery in the most effective ways for their performances.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the entire world from lockdowns to various recommended restrictions including social distancing and wearing face coverings. In a safe environment, cardiovascular exercise is important for both physical health and mental health. The current study examined the effects of face coverings on rating of perceived exertion and attention allocation during an exertive stepping task. Participants completed a stepping task with a weighted vest at 20% of their bodyweight until volitional fatigue with a face covering (n = 23) or without a face covering (n = 31). Results revealed a non-significant difference (p = 0.25) in the duration of the stepping task (in seconds) between the no face covering (M = 455.81, SD = 289.77) and face covering (M = 547.83, SD = 285.93) conditions. Results indicated increases in perceived exertion (p < 0.001) and heart rate (p < 0.001) as time progressed across the four time points (i.e., 30 s, 1/3 time to exhaustion, 2/3 time to exhaustion, and exhaustion) in both conditions. No significant differences were found between the conditions for RPE (p = 0.09) and heart rate (p = 0.50). Participants wearing a face covering were more internally focused across the duration of the stepping task (p = 0.05). This study has relevance for applied practitioners implementing physical activity interventions that require face coverings.