The effects of three different recovery postures during the half-time break on fatigue and body temperature in football players

Background: In football, research on halftime recovery methods is limited. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of three different recovery postures during the half-time break on blood lactate and pH, RPE and body temperature of football players. Materials and Methods: Thirty-four male division I Tabriz football players, with an average age of 25.82±4.1 years and Vo2max of 56.30±8.61 ml/kg/min were randomly assigned to three recovery posture groups: (1) seated posture (Sit, n=11), (2) supine posture (Sup, n=11), and (3) supine posture with elevated legs (Sup Lu, n=12). Each group followed their specific recovery protocol 10 min after a simulated half-football game. Measurements were taken before (T1), immediately after (T2), and five minutes after (T3) recovery. Results: Both the Sup and Sup-Lu groups exhibited a significant decrease in blood lactate and an increase in pH from T1 to T3, but there was no significant difference between these two groups (P 0.05). Body temperature did not show significant variation within or between the groups (P 0.05). A significant difference was observed in the mean changes of RPE from T1 to T3 between the groups (P 0.05). Conclusion: Both the Sup and Sup Lu recovery postures were found to effectively reduce the fatigue level of football players during the half-time break compared to sitting, without lowering body temperature.