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Instructor/Advisor

Dr. Nicholas SantaBarbara

Keywords

Athlete Recovery, Cognitive Reset, Injury Prevention

Abstract

Collegiate athletes face demanding schedules that challenge both their physical and cognitive capacities. While traditional recovery strategies emphasize physical rest, hydration, and mobility work, they often neglect mental fatigue and autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulation—key factors in athletic performance and injury prevention. This project explores a comprehensive recovery approach that integrates Neurocognitive Training, Parasympathetic Reset, and Cognitive-Based Active Recovery to enhance athlete performance and well-being.

The research examines how cognitive fatigue impairs reaction time, decision-making, and neuromuscular coordination, increasing injury risk. Additionally, chronic stress and travel disrupt ANS balance, delaying recovery by prolonging the body's fight-or-flight response. Strategies such as visual reset training, breathwork, and cognitive-motor dual-task exercises have shown promise in mitigating these effects. Breathwork, for instance, improves heart rate variability (HRV) and accelerates parasympathetic recovery, while cognitive-motor drills enhance reaction time and coordination.

This project will review current research and develop two structured recovery programs: one designed for weight room sessions and another tailored for travel. These programs will be designed for seamless integration into collegiate training environments without increasing workload. By addressing gaps in traditional recovery models, this capstone aims to provide a practical, research-backed framework that enhances athlete recovery, performance, and injury resilience. Findings will contribute to the growing field of cognitive and autonomic recovery strategies in sports, offering strength and conditioning coaches innovative tools to support their athletes effectively.

Neurocognitive-Parasympathetic-Active (NPA) Recovery System for Collegiate Athletes

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