Effects of Cold-Water Immersion Compared with Other Recovery Modalities on Athletic Performance Following Acute Strenuous Exercise in Physically Active Participants: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression

The Acute Effects of Cold Water Immersion and Percussive Massage Therapy on Neuromuscular Properties and Muscle Soreness after Exercise in Young Male Soccer Players

“…Massage therapy has been suggested to not provide any effect on isometric knee extensor strength after running, whereas vibrating foam rollers might improve physical performance after eccentric lower body exercise, maybe due to an increase in body temperature and blood flow [ 30 ]. If little is known about the effects of PMT on muscle strength after strenuous exercise, CWI has been widely investigated, despite suggesting conflicting results [ 4 , 27 ]. Indeed, although CWI could be effective after high-intensity exercise, improving muscular power, muscle soreness, creatine kinase, and perceived recovery 24 h after exercise [ 4 ], there is some conflicting evidence in terms of the effects of CWI on the recovery of strength performance compared to passive or other recovery modalities [ 4 , 27 ].…”

“…Also, it should be noted that CWI characteristics usually differ in the reported studies, with immersion lasting between 10 and 15 min and water temperature being between 8 and 15 °C. As such, despite an individualized protocol being preferred, in our study, we used CWI conditions in line with those reported in the literature [ 4 ].…”

“…Cold water immersion (CWI) represents one of the most used recovery techniques, especially in team sports and soccer, with athletes considering CWI one of the most effective treatments for recovery purposes [ 3 ]. Despite the exact mechanisms underlying the effects of CWI on fatigue and recovery remaining elusive [ 4 ], some research suggests that it might attenuate the effects of strenuous exercise, acting as an analgesic to reduce muscle pain, swelling, and post-exercise inflammation [ 4 ]. As such, some authors found that it could be useful in improving physical performance [ 5 ], and despite some conflicting results [ 4 , 6 ], it is usually well accepted as a low-effort approach, thanks also to the development of different portable tubs and systems [ 1 ].…”

“…Despite the exact mechanisms underlying the effects of CWI on fatigue and recovery remaining elusive [ 4 ], some research suggests that it might attenuate the effects of strenuous exercise, acting as an analgesic to reduce muscle pain, swelling, and post-exercise inflammation [ 4 ]. As such, some authors found that it could be useful in improving physical performance [ 5 ], and despite some conflicting results [ 4 , 6 ], it is usually well accepted as a low-effort approach, thanks also to the development of different portable tubs and systems [ 1 ]. Nevertheless, CWI often lacks standardized protocols in terms of water temperature, timing, and duration of the immersion, and a possible explanation for the inconsistent findings could depend on interindividual differences [ 7 ].…”

Investigating the Impact of Varied Dosages of Royal Jelly Consumption on Creatine Kinase and Interleukin-6 Levels Post High-Intensity Resistance Training

“…The markers of EIMD comprise various manifestations, including sensations of pain, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), observable swelling, restricted range of motion (ROM), diminished muscle strength and power, and compromised recovery (Hyldahl & Hubal, 2014;Ives et al, 2017). Consequently, exercise performance may also be negatively impacted (Wan et al, 2017) In practical terms, immediately after exercise, there is a notable reduction in muscle strength by approximately 20 to 50%, and it may take between 2 to 7 days for full recovery to occur (Gamonales et al, 2022;Moore et al, 2023;Peake, 2019;Peake et al, 2017). The process of EIMD is accompanied by a systemic inflammatory response that involves various mediators (Irandoust et al, 2022;Kaniganti & Majumdar, 2019;Mukarromah et al, 2022;Philip & Fischer, 2014).…”