The latest consensus on sports science is that performance and recovery decisions should be tailored based on the integrated monitoring of several variables. However, interpretation of this concept is limited because the ideal model is still unknown. Therefore, the investigation of recovery, which is a complex phenomenon, could benefit from assessing a variable that is representative of the whole process and should consider sport specificity. Therefore, in this study we suggest the that movement assessment along with the athlete`s perceptions, muscle properties and performance could add relevant information to the actual scenario. This study was carried out to evaluate the recovery process in swimmers from beginning to end, using massage and immersion in cold-water, which are frequently used techniques in the field. Our main objective was to test a theoretical model using the sporting gesture as a representative variable of the recovery process of swimmers. This study included 22 healthy young swimmers from Brazil which were submitted to procedures divided in three stages. The first stage consisted of investigating the adequacy of the procedures performed by evaluating the tests used. The second stage included evaluating the effects of fatigue on movement and variables that could potentially be influenced by it. Finally, the short-term effect of massage and cold-water immersion (CWI) compared to control immediately after fatigue. The outcomes assessed were training related perceptions (physical and mental readiness, fatigue, vigor, somnolence and pain), shoulder sense of position, upper limb muscle viscoelastic properties (muscle tone, stiffness and elasticity), ergometric (distance swam pace, stroke frequency, power and count) and biomechanic variables (shoulder and elbow flexion degrees during a simulated stroke cycle). Fatigue was induced during a swim protocol consisting of 8 x 100m freestyle submaximal sprints using palmar and parachutes and assessed during a simulated swim test on swim ergometer using inertial measurement units. Reliability of the tests and tools were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients and minimal detectable changes. Comparation between the tested conditions was carried out using one dimensional statistical parametric mapping analogous to repeated measures analysis of variance for time series and using generalized linear models for the remaining variables. We found that ergometric and biomechanical outcomes can be reliably reproduced between training sessions, but perceptive, proprioceptive and muscle parameters have great variability and should be interpreted with caution considering clinically relevant parameters. In addition, fatigue can be consistently tested using simulated swim ergometer and can alter the movement behavior of the shoulder and elbow, possibly impacting swimmers` performance. Finally, in addition to improving swimmers` perceptions, CWI showed a protective effect by mitigating fatigue repercussions in movement variability. Although recovery strategies are usually not recommended on the basis of performance assessments, CWI is shown to impact not only self-reported outcomes but also movement variability. The high adherence to therapeutic techniques for recovery, despite the lack of strong evidence, suggests that the outcomes investigated so far may not reflect the totality of the systems state and future studies on this subject can enrich the theory and practice regarding post-exercise recovery.
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