Cold and Warm Water for Performance Recovery

University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Other: control; Behavioral: repeated cold water therapy; Behavioral: repeated warm water therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04902924

2021-00546

Details and patient eligibility

About

The overall aim of this study is, to evaluate the effectiveness of repeated cold- and warm water immersion on performance recovery after muscle damage.

Full description

Participants perform a muscle-damage protocol, which comprises 5x20 drop jumps. After the exercise protocol is finished, the participants will undergo one of three recovery interventions. Cold-water immersion, Warm-water immersion or the control-intervention. During the exercise protocol and the recovery intervention following parameters will be assessed: Blood oxygenation, Muscle oxygenation, heart-rate, skin temperature and core temperature.

Then, performance recovery will be assessed during the following 72 hrs (in a 24 hrs interval).

At each time-point, following measurements will be conducted: vertical-jump performance, maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the m.quadriceps femoris muscle, muscle swelling and delayed-onset of muscle soreness.

Enrollment: 30 patients

Sex: Female

Ages: 18 to 35 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy participants
• No surgeries
• No previous injuries
• Anticonceptiva allowed

Exclusion criteria

• Acute injuries or current pain situations
• Cryophobia
• Fear
• Pregnancy
• Raynaud syndrome
• Medication intake

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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30 participants in 3 patient groups

Repeated cold-water immersion

Experimental group

Description:

In this arm, the participants undergo repeated cold water immersion at 10°C for 2 x 5 min. Between the immersion, a break will be conducted 2.5 min. Participants will be immersed up to the iliac crest

Treatment:

Behavioral: repeated cold water therapy

Repeated warm-water immersion

Active Comparator group

Description:

In this arm, the participants undergo repeated warm water immersion at 40°C for 2 x 5 min. Between the immersion, a break will be conducted 2.5 min. Participants will be immersed up to the iliac crestParticipants will be immersed up to the iliac crest.

Treatment:

Behavioral: repeated warm water therapy

Control

Other group

Description:

In this arm, the participants undergo the control intervention which comprises to remain seated for 12.5 min. The participants, that will perform the muscle damaging protocol under hypoxia will also be treated with the control condition.

Treatment:

Other: control