Cold Water Immersion is Acutely Detrimental but Increases Performance Post-12 h in Rugby Players

Objective: The main aim of this study was to determine strategies used toaccelerate recovery of elite rugby players after training and matches, asused by medical support staff of rugby teams in South A frica. A secondaryaim was to focus on specifics of implementing ice/cold water immersion asrecovery strategy. Design: A Questionnaire-based cross sectional descriptive survey was used.Setting and Participants: Most (n=58) of the medical support staff ofrugby teams (doctors, physiotherapists, biokineticists and fitness trainers)who attended the inaugural Rugby Medical A ssociation conference linked to the South A frican Sports MedicineA ssociation Conference in Pretoria (14-16th November, 2007) participated in the study. Results: Recovery strategies were utilized mostly after matches. Stretching and ice/cold water immersion were utilized the most (83%). More biokineticists and fitness trainers advocated the usage of stretching than their counter-parts (medical doctors and physiotherapists). Ice/Cold water immersion and A ctive Recovery were the top two ratedstrategies. A summary of the details around implementation of ice/cold water therapy is shown (mean) as utilized bythe subjects: (i) The time to immersion after matches was 12±9 min; (ii) The total duration of one immersion sessionwas 6±6 min; (iii) 3 immersion sessions per average training week was utilized by subjects; (iv) The average water temperature was 10±3 ºC.; (v) Ice cubes were used most frequently to cool water for immersion sessions, and(vi) plastic drums were mostly used as the container for water. Conclusion: In this survey the representative group of support staff provided insight to which strategies are utilizedin South A frican elite rugby teams to accelerate recovery of players after training and/or matches.

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Effects of cold-water immersion of legs after training session on serum creatine kinase concentrations in rugby players

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsm.2006.033951 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 41 (5) ◽

pp. 339-339 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

G. Banfi ◽

G. Melegati ◽

P. Valentini

Keyword(s):

Creatine Kinase ◽

Cold Water ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Training Session ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Serum Creatine Kinase ◽

Rugby Players

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Effects of Chronic Cold-Water Immersion in Elite Rugby Players

International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance ◽

10.1123/ijspp.2018-0313 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 156-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Francisco Tavares ◽

Martyn Beaven ◽

Júlia Teles ◽

Dane Baker ◽

Phil Healey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cold Water ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Rugby Players

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Recovery following Rugby Union matches: effects of cold water immersion on markers of fatigue and damage

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/apnm-2018-0542 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 546-556

Author(s):

Renan Felipe Hartmann Nunes ◽

Rob Duffield ◽

Fábio Yuzo Nakamura ◽

Ewertton de Souza Bezerra ◽

Raphael Luiz Sakugawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Perceived Exertion ◽

Cold Water ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽

Peak Power Output ◽

Necrosis Factor Alpha ◽

Markers Of Inflammation ◽

Tnf Α ◽

Rugby Players

We investigated the effect of postmatch cold-water immersion (CWI) on markers of muscle damage, neuromuscular fatigue, and perceptual responses within 72 h after a rugby match. Twenty-two professional male rugby players were randomized into CWI (10 °C/10 min; n = 11) or control (CON: 30 min seated; n = 11) groups. Activity profile from Global Positioning Satellite systems and postmatch rating of perceived exertion were measured to determined match load. Biochemical (tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6), neuromuscular performance (squat (SJ) and countermovement jumps (CMJ), peak power output (PPO), rate of force development (RFD), stiffness, 10- and 30-m sprint time, and perceptual markers (soreness, perceived recovery) were obtained before and immediately after the match, and then at 30 min, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h after the match. Magnitude-based inference and Cohen’s effect size (ES) were used to analyze change over time and between groups. Thus, the higher/beneficial, similar/trivial, or lower/harmful differences were evaluated as follows: <1%, almost certainly not; 1% to 5%, very unlikely; 5% to 25%, unlikely; 25% to 75%, possible; 75% to 95%, likely; 95% to 99%, very likely; >99%, almost certainly. Changes were unclear for the match loads, sprint times, and perceptual markers between groups. Higher %ΔSJ at 24 h (very likely (ES = 0.75)) and in %ΔPPO_SJ at 48 h (likely (ES = 0.51)) were observed in CWI than in CON. Values in %ΔRDF_CMJ were higher immediately after (likely (ES = 0.83)), 30 min after (very likely (ES = 0.97)), and 24 h after the match (likely (ES = 0.93)) in CWI than in CON. Furthermore, %Δlog TNF-α were lower in the CWI group than in the CON group immediately after (almost certainly (ES = −0.76)), 24 h after (very likely (ES = −1.09)), and 72 h after the match (likely (ES = −0.51)), and in Δstiffness_SJ at 30 min after (likely (ES = −0.67)) and 48 h after the match (very likely (ES = −0.97)). Also, different within-groups effects throughout postmatch were reported. Implementing postmatch CWI-based strategies improved the recovery of markers of inflammation and fatigue in rugby players, despite no change in markers of speed or perceptual recovery.

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Patient Involvement in Treatment Decision Making Can Help or Hinder Placebo Analgesia

Zeitschrift für Psychologie ◽

10.1027/2151-2604/a000179 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 222 (3) ◽

pp. 165-170 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Andrew L. Geers ◽

Jason P. Rose ◽

Stephanie L. Fowler ◽

Jill A. Brown

Keyword(s):

Patient Involvement ◽

Cold Water ◽

Prior Experience ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Treatment Decision ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Not Given ◽

Placebo Analgesia ◽

Treatment Decision Making ◽

Immersion Experience

Experiments have found that choosing between placebo analgesics can reduce pain more than being assigned a placebo analgesic. Because earlier research has shown prior experience moderates choice effects in other contexts, we tested whether prior experience with a pain stimulus moderates this placebo-choice association. Before a cold water pain task, participants were either told that an inert cream would reduce their pain or they were not told this information. Additionally, participants chose between one of two inert creams for the task or they were not given choice. Importantly, we also measured prior experience with cold water immersion. Individuals with prior cold water immersion experience tended to display greater placebo analgesia when given choice, whereas participants without this experience tended to display greater placebo analgesia without choice. Prior stimulus experience appears to moderate the effect of choice on placebo analgesia.

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Thermoregulatory responses to cold water at different times of day

Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1152/jappl.1999.87.1.243 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 87 (1) ◽

pp. 243-246 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

John W. Castellani ◽

Andrew J. Young ◽

James E. Kain ◽

Michael N. Sawka

Keyword(s):

Cold Water ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Early Morning ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Time Of Day ◽

Mean Skin Temperature ◽

Mean Body Temperature ◽

Metabolic Heat ◽

Body Temperature Change ◽

The Mean

This study examined how time of day affects thermoregulation during cold-water immersion (CWI). It was hypothesized that the shivering and vasoconstrictor responses to CWI would differ at 0700 vs. 1500 because of lower initial core temperatures (Tcore) at 0700. Nine men were immersed (20°C, 2 h) at 0700 and 1500 on 2 days. No differences ( P > 0.05) between times were observed for metabolic heat production (M˙, 150 W ⋅ m−2), heat flow (250 W ⋅ m−2), mean skin temperature (T sk, 21°C), and the mean body temperature-change in M˙(ΔM˙) relationship. Rectal temperature (Tre) was higher ( P < 0.05) before (Δ = 0.4°C) and throughout CWI during 1500. The change in Tre was greater ( P < 0.05) at 1500 (−1.4°C) vs. 0700 (−1.2°C), likely because of the higher Tre-T skgradient (0.3°C) at 1500. These data indicate that shivering and vasoconstriction are not affected by time of day. These observations raise the possibility that CWI may increase the risk of hypothermia in the early morning because of a lower initial Tcore.

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Changes in myocardial myosin heavy chain isoform composition with exercise and post-exercise cold-water immersion

Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility ◽

10.1007/s10974-021-09603-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ramzi A. Al-horani ◽

Mukhallad A. Mohammad ◽

Saja Haifawi ◽

Mohammed Ihsan

Keyword(s):

Myosin Heavy Chain ◽

Heavy Chain ◽

Cold Water ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Post Exercise ◽

Myosin Heavy Chain Isoform

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Cold-water immersion following sprint interval training does not alter endurance signaling pathways or training adaptations in human skeletal muscle

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.00434.2016 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 313 (4) ◽

pp. R372-R384 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

James R. Broatch ◽

Aaron Petersen ◽

David J. Bishop

Keyword(s):

Mitochondrial Biogenesis ◽

Molecular Mechanisms ◽

Cold Water ◽

P53 Protein ◽

Water Immersion ◽

Interval Training ◽

Cold Water Immersion ◽

Peroxisome Proliferator ◽

Sprint Interval Training ◽

Single Session

We investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms by which postexercise cold-water immersion (CWI) may alter key markers of mitochondrial biogenesis following both a single session and 6 wk of sprint interval training (SIT). Nineteen men performed a single SIT session, followed by one of two 15-min recovery conditions: cold-water immersion (10°C) or a passive room temperature control (23°C). Sixteen of these participants also completed 6 wk of SIT, each session followed immediately by their designated recovery condition. Four muscle biopsies were obtained in total, three during the single SIT session (preexercise, postrecovery, and 3 h postrecovery) and one 48 h after the last SIT session. After a single SIT session, phosphorylated (p-)AMPK, p-p38 MAPK, p-p53, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α ( PGC-1α) mRNA were all increased ( P < 0.05). Postexercise CWI had no effect on these responses. Consistent with the lack of a response after a single session, regular postexercise CWI had no effect on PGC-1α or p53 protein content. Six weeks of SIT increased peak aerobic power, maximal oxygen consumption, maximal uncoupled respiration (complexes I and II), and 2-km time trial performance ( P < 0.05). However, regular CWI had no effect on changes in these markers, consistent with the lack of response in the markers of mitochondrial biogenesis. Although these observations suggest that CWI is not detrimental to endurance adaptations following 6 wk of SIT, they question whether postexercise CWI is an effective strategy to promote mitochondrial biogenesis and improvements in endurance performance.

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