Braun-Trocchio et al. 2022, Recovery strategies in endurance athletes (survey)

Survey of 264 endurance athletes across 11 sports on the recovery strategies they use and how effective they believe them to be. Athletes prioritised hydration, nutrition, sleep and rest; female athletes used more strategies and rated a broader range of hands-on and passive modalities — including massage, foam rolling, cupping, dry needling, cryotherapy, contrast baths, and stretching — as more effective than male athletes did, and higher-placed finishers used more recovery interventions overall. This records use and perceived effectiveness, not measured efficacy, so it speaks to the popularity of these hands-on methods rather than whether they work.