Abstract
Cold water immersion (CWI) has become a highly used recovery method in sports sciences, which seeks to minimize fatigue and accelerate recovery processes; however, tensiomyography (TMG) is a new method to analyze the muscle mechanical response as a recovery indicator after CWI protocols, this relative new tool of muscle function assessment, can lead to new information of understand fatigue recovery trough CWI. The objective of the study was to compare the effect of two CWI protocols, on neuromuscular function recovery. Thirty-nine healthy males (21.8 ± 2.8 years, 73.2 ± 8.2 kg, 176.6 ± 5.3 cm and body fat 13.5 ± 3.4%) were included in the study. Participants were grouped into a continuous immersion (12 min at 12 ± 0.4°C) group, intermittent immersion (2 min immersion at 12 ± 0.4°C + 1 min out of water 23 ± 0.5°C) group, and a control group (CG) (12 min sitting in a room at 23 ± 0.5°C). Afterward, the participants performed eight sets of 30 s counter movement jumps (CMJs) repetitions, with a 90 s standing recovery between sets. Muscle contraction time (Tc), delay time (Td), muscle radial displacement (Dm), muscle contraction velocity at 10% of DM (V10), and muscle contraction velocity at 90% of DM (V90) in rectus, biceps femoris, and CMJ were measured. Neither CWI protocol was effective in showing improved recovery at 24 and 48 h after training compared with the CG (p > 0.05), in any TMG indicator of recovery in either muscle biceps or rectus femoris, nor was the CMJ performance (F(6,111) = 0.43, p = 0.85, = 0). Neither CWI protocol contributed to recovery of the neuromuscular function indicator.
Highlights
The recovery process is of particular importance to athletes who are required to perform optimally over subsequent training sessions and competitions (Rattray et al, 2015) Cold water immersion (CWI) has become well-known and the most frequently used recovery method by specialists in sports sciences, both among high performance athletes and amateur athletes, who seek to minimize fatigue and accelerate recovery processes (Calleja-González et al, 2016; Ihsan et al, 2016)
The participants were randomly divided into three groups (13 subjects per group) using a table of random numbers: an intermittent cold water immersion (ICWI) group, a continuous cold water immersion (CCWI) group, and a control group (CG)
There was no TMG rectus femoris interaction between groups or measure moments for any of the TMG biceps femoris (BF) variables. These results suggest that the CWI protocol does not contribute to the TMG recovery of the rectus femoris as a neuromuscular function indicator
Summary
The recovery process is of particular importance to athletes who are required to perform optimally over subsequent training sessions and competitions (Rattray et al, 2015) Cold water immersion (CWI) has become well-known and the most frequently used recovery method by specialists in sports sciences, both among high performance athletes and amateur athletes, who seek to minimize fatigue and accelerate recovery processes (Calleja-González et al, 2016; Ihsan et al, 2016). The literature reports that CWI includes the following physiological effects: decreased skin temperature and internal temperature (Peiffer et al, 2010), decreased acute inflammation, localized edema, and thigh muscle volume level (Vaile et al, 2008), decreased muscular pain sensation (Rowsell et al, 2011; Pointon et al, 2012; Delextrat et al, 2013; Minett et al, 2014; Sánchez-Ureña et al, 2017) and increased parasympathetic activity after exercise favoring recovery processes (Al Haddad et al, 2010; Stanley et al, 2012) It improves the perception of recovery (Brophy-Williams et al, 2011; Stanley et al, 2012) and decreases the perception of fatigue (Rowsell et al, 2011; Delextrat et al, 2013). Other studies indicate that CWI has no effect on neuromuscular function (De Nardi et al, 2011; Pournot et al, 2011)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
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
