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Acute Impact of Cold Compression Therapy Across Diverse Age Groups and Physical Conditioning Status: A Randomized
Robert Trybulski1,2, Adrian Kużdżał3, Gracjan Olaniszyn1,4
1Faculty of Medicine, Katowice Business University, Katowice, Poland.
Journal of Sports Science & Medicine
|June 19, 2026
Summary
Pneumatic cold-compression (CC) therapy significantly enhances hamstring recovery after fatigue, improving muscle strength, stiffness, and perceived recovery. Benefits were observed across various age groups and athlete types.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Physiotherapy
- Muscle Physiology
Background:
- Muscle fatigue protocols are crucial for assessing recovery interventions.
- Standardized hamstring fatigue protocols allow for reproducible testing of recovery methods.
- Understanding recovery mechanisms is vital for athlete performance and injury rehabilitation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of pneumatic cold-compression (CC) in improving maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) recovery post-hamstring fatigue.
- To compare secondary outcomes including muscle stiffness, microvascular perfusion, pressure pain threshold (PPT), blood lactate, and perceived recovery (TQR) with CC versus sham treatment.
- To investigate potential subgroup differences in CC effectiveness.
Main Methods:
- A multicenter, randomized, participant- and assessor-blinded, sham-controlled, two-period crossover trial involving 80 participants.
- Participants underwent a standardized hamstring fatigue protocol followed by CC (3 °C, 75 mmHg, 10 min twice daily for 3 days) or sham treatment.
- Outcomes including MVC, muscle stiffness, perfusion, PPT, lactate, and TQR were assessed at multiple time points (T0-T4).
Main Results:
- CC significantly improved MVC compared to sham from 24h to 48h post-intervention (p < .001).
- Muscle stiffness was reduced, while microvascular perfusion and PPT were enhanced under CC from 24h to 48h (p < .001).
- Blood lactate levels decreased immediately post-intervention (T2; p < .001) with CC, and perceived recovery varied by subgroup.
Conclusions:
- Pneumatic cold-compression therapy accelerates recovery from hamstring fatigue, enhancing strength, stiffness, perfusion, pain thresholds, lactate clearance, and perceived recovery.
- Benefits were observed across different populations, with earlier effects in MMA athletes and young adults, and delayed but comparable improvements in older adults.
- No adverse events were reported, suggesting CC is a safe and effective recovery modality.
