Cold Water Immersion Does Not Enhance Recovery and Performance After High-Intensity Interval Dorsiflexion Exercise.

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Recovery Strategies

Background:

• Cold-water immersion (CWI) is popular for post-exercise recovery.
• Its effects on neuromuscular function restoration are not fully understood.
• High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) significantly impacts neuromuscular function.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of CWI on neuromuscular recovery after HIIE.
• To compare CWI with room temperature rest (RT) for recovery.
• To assess next-day exercise performance following HIIE and recovery interventions.

Main Methods:

• Randomized crossover study with 12 participants.
• HIIE protocol involving ankle plantar flexor and dorsiflexor contractions.
• Intervention: 10 minutes of CWI (10°C) or RT.
• Neuromuscular function and intramuscular temperature measured over 24 hours.

Main Results:

• Maximal voluntary contraction torque remained impaired up to 3 hours post-exercise in both conditions.
• Electrically stimulated 10 Hz torque recovery was similar between CWI and RT.
• 50 Hz torque recovered faster with RT than CWI, but the 10:50 Hz ratio showed immediate recovery with CWI.
• Next-day HIIE performance was comparable regardless of recovery method.

Conclusions:

• 10-minute CWI at 10°C does not enhance neuromuscular recovery post-HIIE.
• CWI did not improve subsequent exercise performance compared to RT.
• Current evidence suggests CWI may not be superior to passive recovery for this type of exercise.