Table 3.
Effects of cooling and heating following sprint exercise on functional recovery and training adaptations
| References | Participants | Exercise protocol | Post-exercise recovery method | Main finding | Main effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single post-exercise exposure | |||||
| Broatch et al. [120] | Recreationally trained subjects (30 M, 24 Y) |
Cycling: 4 × 30 s all-out with 4 min rest |
3 groups: CWI: 10.3 °C for 15 min. TWI: 34.7 °C for 15 min. TWP: 34.7 °C for 15 min with skin cleanser added to the water (placebo) |
Greater peak MVIC KE torque immediately post-recovery, and @ 1 h and 48 h post-Ex in TWP versus TWI groups, with no differences in CWI versus TWI and TWP groups immediately post-recovery, and @ 1, 24 and 48 h post-Ex. Greater average MVIC KE torque immediately post-recovery, and @ 1, 24 and 48 h post-Ex in TWP versus TWI groups, and tendency to greater average MVIC KE torque immediately post-recovery, and @ 48 h post-Ex in CWI versus TWI groups |
Ø of CWI (versus TWP) on maximal strength @ 0–1 h and 24–48 h. ↑ (tendency) of CWI (versus TWI) on maximal strength (average only) @ 0 h and 48 h |
| Buchheit et al. [113] | Recreationally trained cyclists (10 M, 29 Y) |
Cycling: 2 × 1-km TT with 20 min rest. 35 °C with 40% RH |
Crossover design. Immersion after the 1st 1-km TT: CWI: 14 °C for 5 min. CON: 5 min PR |
-Similar cycling time and mean cycling PO during the 2nd 1-km TT in CWI and CON | Ø of CWI on subsequent (@ 20 min) cycling sprint performance |
| Crampton et al. [119] | Recreationally trained subjects (8 M, 25 Y) |
Cycling: 3 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 4 min rest (Ex1). 35 min recovery. 3 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 4 min rest (Ex2). 21 °C |
Crossover design. Immersion after Ex1: CWT1/1: 2.5 min at 8 °C and 2.5 min at 40 °C for 30 min. CWT1/4: 1 min at 8 °C and 4 min at 40 °C for 30 min. CON: 30 min PR |
Greater peak PO of Ex2 in CWT1/4 versus PR, with no differences between CWT1/1 and CON. Reduced total work during Ex2 in CON but not CWT conditions |
↑ of CWT on subsequent (@ 35 min) cycling sprint performance |
| Crampton et al. [114] | Well trained cyclists (8 M, 25 Y) |
Cycling: 3 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 4 min rest (Ex1). 40 min recovery. 3 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 4 min rest (Ex2) |
Crossover design. Immersion after Ex1: CWI: 15 °C for 30 min. CON: active recovery (arm Ex) for 30 min. CWI (15 °C) with active recovery (arm Ex) for 30 min. TWI (34 °C) with active recovery (arm Ex) for 30 min |
Lower mean PO of Ex2 in CWI versus the other trials. Mean PO of Ex2 only preserved in arm Ex and TWI with arm Ex. Lower peak PO of the 1st sprint of Ex2 in CWI and CWI with active recovery versus the two other trials. Peak PO of Ex2 only preserved in TWI with active recovery |
↓ of CWI on subsequent (@ 40 min) cycling sprint performance |
| Crowe et al. [115] | Recreationally trained subjects (13 M, 4 F, 21 Y) |
Cycling: 2 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 60 min rest |
Crossover design. Immersion 10 min after the 1st sprint: CWI: 13–14 °C for 15 min. CON: 15 min PR |
Reduced peak PO and total work during the 2nd 30-s all-out cycling sprint in CWI but not CON conditions | ↓ of CWI on subsequent (@ 60 min) cycling sprint performance |
| Hurrie and Giesbrecht. [116] | Well trained subjects (6 M, 3 F, 32 Y) |
Cycling: 3 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 4 min rest (Ex1). 40 min recovery. 3 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 4 min rest (Ex2). 20–22 °C |
Crossover design. Immersion after Ex1: CWI (15 °C) with active recovery (cycling) for 30 min. TWI (34 °C) with active recovery (cycling) for 30 min. TWI (34 °C) for 30 min |
Reduced mean and peak PO during Ex2 versus Ex1 only observed in CWI with active recovery | ↓ of CWI with active recovery on subsequent (@ 40 min) cycling sprint performance |
| Kim and Hurr. [21] | Recreationally trained subjects (11 M) |
Cycling: 2 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 10 min rest |
Crossover design. Recovery intervention after the 1st sprint: Leg cooling suit for 10 min. CON: 10 min PR |
Lower peak PO during the 2nd 30-s cycling sprint in cooling versus CON. Lower mean frequency (EMG) during the 1st 10 s of the 2nd sprint in cooling versus CON |
↓ of leg cooling on subsequent (@ 10 min) cycling sprint performance |
| Parouty et al. [122] |
Well trained swimmers (5 M, 5 F, 19 Y) |
Swimming: 2 × 100 m sprints with 30 min rest |
Crossover design. Immersion 5 min after the 1st sprint: CWI: 14–15 °C for 5 min (up to the neck). CON: 5 min PR |
Higher swimming time during the 2nd 100 m sprint in CWI versus CON | ↓ of CWI on subsequent (@ 30 min) swimming performance |
| Schnieep et al. [117] | Well trained cyclists (10 M, 30 Y) |
Cycling: 2 × 30 s all-out cycling bouts with 15 min rest |
Crossover design. Immersion immediately after the 1st sprint: CWI: 12 °C for 15 min. CON: 15 min PR |
Greater decline in mean and peak PO for CWI versus CON during the 2nd 30-s all-out cycling sprint | ↓ of CWI on subsequent (@15 min) cycling sprint performance |
| White et al. [121] | Recreationally trained subjects (8 M, 24 Y) |
Running: 12 × 120 m maximal sprints with 2.5 min rest |
Cross over design: CWI: 10 °C for 10 or 30 min. CWI: 20 °C for 10 or 30 min. CON: 45 min PR |
Similar recovery of SJ performance in CWI conditions and CON @ 1, 2, 24 and 48 h post-Ex. Similar reduction of DJ performance @ 1–2 h post-Ex in all conditions, and full recovery of DJ performance only in 10 °C-CWI (10 and 30 min).@ 24–48 h post-Ex |
Ø of CWI on SJ performance @ 1 h to 48 h. ↑ of CWI (10 °C) on DJ performance @ 24–48 h |
| Yoshimura et al. [118] | Well trained subjects (15 M, 19 Y) |
Cycling: 2x (10 min at 50%VO2max + 30 s all-out) with 20 min rest. 25 °C and 50% RH |
Cross over design: CWI: 20 °C for 20 min (up to the neck). CON: 20 min PR. *exclusion of one condition (CWI with CO2) |
Similar decline in mean PO in CWI and CON during the 2nd 30-s all-out cycling sprint | Ø of CWI on subsequent (@30 min) cycling sprint performance |
| Repeated post-exercise exposures | |||||
| Broatch et al. [17] | Recreationally trained subjects (16 M, 25 Y) |
6-wk cycling training (3 sessions/wk): 4–6 × 30 s all-out bouts with 4 min rest |
Immersion after each session, 2 groups: CWI: 10 °C for 15 min. CON: PR |
Similar improvement of 2 km-TT and 20 km-TT performance, peak PO and VO2peak (incremental test) in CWI and CON groups | Ø of CWI on endurance performance |
Water immersion was applied up to the waist/lower part of the trunk, unless stated otherwise. Text highlighted in italic describes the ambient condition, when stated (air temperature and relative humidity)
Text in bold describes the specific time points
CMJ countermovement jump, CON control, CWI cold water immersion, DJ drop jump, Ex exercise, F female, KE knee extension, KF knee flexion, M male, MVIC maximal voluntary isometric contraction, PO power output, PR passive recovery, RH relative humidity, SJ squat jump, TT time trial, TWI thermoneutral water immersion, TWP thermoneutral water immersion with placebo, VO2 oxygen uptake, wk week, Y year, ↑ positive effect, ↓ negative effect, Ø no effect
*One condition was excluded because it was not relevant for the purpose of the review