Motivation and recovery in sports: systematic review

Abstract - Aim Adequate levels of motivation and recovery seem to be associated aspects in the sports context and could contribute to sports participation. Thus, how can athletes’ motivation and recovery be associated in the sport context? The aim was to conduct a systematic review to identify studies investigating a possible relationship between motivation and recovery. Method: Searches were performed between 12/18/2020 and 01/04/2021 and were done in Embase, Portal BVS, PsycNET, PubMed/Medline, SciElo, and SPORTDiscus databases with terms that are specific to each database in three languages. Studies that included athletes in their samples and investigated motivational regulations and recovery states were included. Review studies and those that investigated recovery between sets of exercises or motivation as an incentive to exercise were excluded. Descriptive and analytical data were extracted using a previously prepared form. The synthesis of the relationships between motivational regulations and recovery states were allocated into analytical categories. Results: From the 4,051 studies identified in the databases, 7 met the inclusion criteria and were assessed and analysed. The extraction and summary of analytical data allowed the identification of categories where motivation and recovery were associated with a) psychophysiological outcomes and sports participation and b) readiness to perform the sports task. Conclusion: The studies included in this review suggest that motivational regulation and recovery could be critical in the sports context and could be related to psychophysiological outcomes and sport participation.