Effects of Delayed Cold Water Immersion after High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise on Subsequent Exercise Performance in Basketball Players

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to compare the effects of passive recovery and delayed cold water immersion one and three hours after high-intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) on exercise performance and muscle soreness on the subse- quent day. Eleven male basketball players participated in the study. They followed the recovery methods after high-in- tensity intermittent exercise, including 15 minutes cold water (15 o C) immersion one hour (CWI1) and three hours (CWI3) after HIIE and passive recovery (CON) in a randomized order on a weekly basis. The protocol for HIIE included progres- sive speed 20-metre shuttle sprint interrupted with repetitive jumping in order to induce fatigue. Twenty-four hours after HIIE, a 20-metre shuttle sprint and maximal vertical jump test were conducted to evaluate the effect of each recovery method. Maximal vertical jump height after one and three hours did not differ significantly compared to pre- test values. However, the maximal vertical jump height in the control group was significantly lower than their pre-test value. Also, 24 hours after HIIE, perceived muscle soreness in CWI1 and CWI3 groups was significantly lower than that of the control group. The total distance of the shuttle run did not differ depending on the recovery method used. Cold water immersions one and three hours after HIIE affected maximal vertical jump height and athletes’ perception of pain. However, there were no significant differences in exercise performance between the cold water immersion at one and three hours after HIIE, which might be due to similar physiological responses during both immersion trials.