Hot- and Cold-Water Immersion Do Not Alter Performance or Perceived Fatigability but Improve Muscle Activation,...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Recovery Strategies

Background:

• Post-exercise recovery is crucial for athletes to manage fatigue and optimize performance.
• Cold-water immersion (CWI) and hot-water immersion (HWI) are common recovery modalities.
• The specific effects of CWI and HWI on different components of fatigability following distinct running protocols remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of CWI (11°C) and HWI (41°C) on various fatigability markers.
• To compare the efficacy of CWI and HWI following continuous (CONT) and high-intensity interval running (HIIT) protocols.
• To assess the impact of CWI and HWI on cardiac autonomic modulation, muscle activation, and perceptual responses.

Main Methods:

• Participants underwent either continuous running at respiratory compensation point (CONT100%RCP) or intermittent running at 50% above vRCP (HIIT150%RCP).
• Post-exercise assessments included voluntary and evoked knee-extensor contractions, countermovement jumps, mood state, cardiac autonomic modulation, and cardiorespiratory responses.
• Measurements were taken at baseline, immediately post-exercise, and at 2, 4, and 24 hours post-exercise.

Main Results:

• CWI enhanced cardiac vagal modulation at 2 hours post-exercise, irrespective of the running protocol.
• HWI reduced oxygen consumption rate during submaximal runs within 24 hours post-exercise.
• HWI improved vastus lateralis activation after CONT, while CWI improved it after HIIT, at 2 and 4 hours post-exercise.

Conclusions:

• The effectiveness of CWI and HWI as recovery interventions is dependent on the specific fatigability component and the preceding exercise type.
• CWI primarily benefits cardiac recovery, while HWI aids in metabolic recovery post-running.
• Neither CWI nor HWI consistently improved muscle force, perceptual responses, or mood disturbance across all conditions.