Abstract
Simple SummaryThe aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different temperature cryotherapy on leg extension performance. A short period of cold treatment at 0 °C may increase the leg extension ability; however, further lower cold treatment temperatures may cause a decrease in the stretching speed. This may indicate that 0 °C cold therapy for a short period of time is more suitable than −5 °C cold therapy for athletes to recover during the interval within a competition.Cryotherapy as a measurement of sports recovery and treatment has been utilized by more and more athletes and coaches. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different temperature cryotherapies on leg extension performance. Thirty-one male participants from a University volunteered to join two different temperature cryotherapies. The peak power and peak force of right leg extension performance of each participant was measured by Keiser, before and after cryotherapy, respectively. The results of this study show that there was a significant difference in peak power (t = −3.203, p value = 0.003) and peak force (t = −4.662, p value = 0) before and after 0 °C cryotherapy. In addition, there was a significant difference in peak force (t = −4.36, p value = 0) before and after −5 °C cryotherapy. Besides, the changing rates of peak power (3.03%) and peak force (11.51%) in the 0 °C group were higher than those of peak power (2.80%), as well as peak force (7.45%), in the −5 °C group. The PF in the 0 °C and −5 °C groups both significantly increased after cryotherapy. Peak power significantly increased after 0 °C cryotherapy, but did not significantly increase after −5 °C cryotherapy. The changing rates of peak power and peak force in the 0 °C group were both higher than the −5 °C group. A short period of cold treatment at 0 °C may increase the leg extension ability. A 0 °C cold therapy for a short period of time is more suitable than a −5 °C one for athletes to recover during the interval within a competition. Athlete and coach could choose an appropriate temperature to help increase performance of physical level and recovery.
Highlights
As a new measure of sports recovery and treatment [1,2,3], cryotherapy is being accepted by more and more athletes and coaches
Comparisons of peak power (PP) and peak force (PF) between before and after 0 ◦C cryotherapy are displayed in Table 2 and Figure 3
There was a significant difference in PP (t = −3.203, p value = 0.003) and PF (t = −4.662, p value = 0) between before and after 0 ◦C cryotherapy
Summary
As a new measure of sports recovery and treatment [1,2,3], cryotherapy is being accepted by more and more athletes and coaches. Cryotherapy has been extensively studied as a practical measure of recovery, it has received less attention. Inappropriate peripheric feedback for proprioception, as well as changes of the biomechanical properties of articulations, are the negative influences of cryotherapy on motor control [11,12]. This evidence indicates that the study of cold therapy has received extensive attention from scholars and that further research is needed to reveal the underlying mechanism of cold therapy. Exploring the effect of cold therapy on the extension performance of the dominant leg may help to understand the mechanism of muscle response to cryotherapy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
