Revista Pesquisa em Fisioterapia · Published 2026-04-22 · DOI 10.17267/2238-2704rpf.2026.e6589
INTRODUCTION: Periodization is a planned variation of exercise variables to improve physical condition and is common in athlete training. Physical therapists can use it in rehabilitation for better results, but there is little information about the knowledge of physical therapists and students regarding this concept. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of knowledge and application of physical therapy students and professionals regarding exercise periodization in rehabilitation. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional observational study carried out with physical therapy students and physical therapists, using a virtual questionnaire made available through social media. Physical therapy students aged ≥ 18 years and physical therapists trained at a higher education school in Brazil were included. Socio-demographic data (age and gender), academic information (whether they were professionals or students, level of training, area of expertise), and concepts and application of exercise periodization in rehabilitation were collected. Age was expressed as mean and standard deviation, and the qualitative variables were expressed as absolute frequency and percentage. RESULTS: 133 participants were included. The level of self-reported knowledge about exercise periodization in rehabilitation was low among students and moderate among professionals. Most professionals and students reported using exercise periodization concepts in rehabilitation, with 80% of professionals and 56.9% of students adopting this practice. However, 81.5% of professionals and 86.3% of students did not use the concepts of microcycle, mesocycle and macrocycle. CONCLUSION: The level of self-reported knowledge about exercise periodization in rehabilitation is low among students and moderate among professionals. Although many claim to prescribe periodized exercises, most are unaware of the application of basic concepts.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
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