The development of recovery centres in the United States Olympic Training Centre (Colorado Springs), the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra), and more recently the Queensland Academy of Sport (Brisbane), document the importance of, and financial investment in recovery. Coaches and researchers suggest that enhanced recovery allows athletes to train more, and thus improves their overall fitness (aerobic, strength and power), technique and efficiency. Although most coaches recognise that recovery is crucial within the sport setting, they often have limited knowledge of what recovery modalities and monitoring tools are available. Moreover, a study by Williams and Kendall (2007) found elite coaches are requesting more research into ‘recovery technique for athletes.’ Specifically, coaches are frequently unsure of what protocol should be followed for a particular recovery activity. This lack of knowledge regarding specific recovery protocols often means that coaches are often relying on methods of trial and error. This indicates that clear, empirically supported protocols are lacking. In addition, the focus is predominantly on physiological oriented recovery activities, with psychological strategies often being ignored. This introductory paper will briefly provide an overview of physiological and psychological aspects of recovery. It will then be followed by the research papers in this session. The development of recovery centres in the United States Olympic Training Centre (Colorado Springs), the Australian Institute of Sport (Canberra), and more recently the Queensland Academy of Sport (Brisbane), document the importance of, and financial investment in recovery. Coaches and researchers suggest that enhanced recovery allows athletes to train more, and thus improves their overall fitness (aerobic, strength and power), technique and efficiency. Although most coaches recognise that recovery is crucial within the sport setting, they often have limited knowledge of what recovery modalities and monitoring tools are available. Moreover, a study by Williams and Kendall (2007) found elite coaches are requesting more research into ‘recovery technique for athletes.’ Specifically, coaches are frequently unsure of what protocol should be followed for a particular recovery activity. This lack of knowledge regarding specific recovery protocols often means that coaches are often relying on methods of trial and error. This indicates that clear, empirically supported protocols are lacking. In addition, the focus is predominantly on physiological oriented recovery activities, with psychological strategies often being ignored. This introductory paper will briefly provide an overview of physiological and psychological aspects of recovery. It will then be followed by the research papers in this session.