The Effect of Thermotherapy on Recovery and Performance (Cryotherapy)

University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

Status: Completed

Conditions: Healthy

Treatments: Device: Zamar Therapy CT clinic

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02506283

KEK-ZH-Nr.2015-0113

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates the effects of cooling on the recovery and performance characteristic in young healthy subjects. The study is divided in two projects:

Project A: investigates the effects of 20 min. post-exercise cooling on vertical jump performance and delayed onset muscle soreness and rated perceived exertion.

Project B: investigates the effects of 20 min. pre-exercise cooling on maximal voluntary contraction of the right M. quadriceps femoris and delayed onset muscle soreness and rated perceived exertion.

Full description

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of a 20 min. external cooling application (+8°C ) versus a external thermo neutral application (+32°C) up to 72 hours post application.

The study is divided in two projects:

Project A: This study is focusing on the recovery process after a max. jump performance (3x30 counter movement jumps). Directly after the exercise subjects receive a cooling or thermo-neutral application. Recovery characteristics measured by vertical jump performance (objective) and delayed onset muscle soreness and rated perceived exertion (subjective) are measured in function of time up to 72 hours post cooling intervention.

Project B: This study is focusing on the effect of 20 min. cooling or thermo-neutral application on the M. quadriceps femoris performance (MVC). After the thermo-application, the 60% endurance MVC is measured by means of surface EMG (OT Bioelettronica 10-750 Hz) in a ergometer chair 90° degrees knee flexion (Cor 1 Bioelettronica). Muscle conduction velocity, MVC (objective), delayed onset muscle soreness and rated perceived exertion (subjective) are measured in function of time up to 72 hours post thermo-application.

Enrollment: 22 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 30 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• only healthy young subjects 18-30 years
• no musculoskeletal surgery in trunk and lower extremities
• injury history in trunk and lower extremity for more than one year
• subjects taking anticonceptive medication are allowed to participate

Exclusion criteria

• actual injuries or injuries for less than one year in trunk and /or lower extremities
• injury history in trunk and lower extremity for more than one year with complaints
• anxiety of cooling
• subjects on medication
• pace maker
• cardiovascular disease
• pregnancy
• skeletal problems
• appendectomy for less than two years
• Morbus Raynaud syndrome

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

---

22 participants in 2 patient groups

cooling intervention

Experimental group

Description:

subjects in this study receive a single pre-exercise (3x MVC) or post-exercise intervention (3x 30 counter movement jumps), consisting of an external cooling application (Zamar Therapy CT clinic) applied to both thighs. Both interventions have a duration of 20 minutes and a temperature of 8°C

Treatment:

Device: Zamar Therapy CT clinic

thermoneutral intervention

Sham Comparator group

Description:

subjects in the control group receive a single pre-exercise (3x MVC) or post-exercise (3x 30 counter movement jumps) sham intervention, consisting of a 20 minute external thermoneutral application (Zamar Therapy CT clinic) applied to both thighs. Both sham interventions have a duration of 20 minutes and a temperature of 32°C.

Treatment:

Device: Zamar Therapy CT clinic