Post-exercise cold water immersion does not alter high intensity interval training-induced exercise performance and Hsp72 responses, but enhances mitochondrial markers

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effect of regular post-exercise cold water immersion (CWI) on intramuscular markers of cellular stress response and signaling molecules related to mitochondria biogenesis and exercise performance after 4 weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT). Seventeen healthy subjects were allocated into two groups: control (CON, n = 9) or CWI (n = 8). Each HIIT session consisted of 8-12 cycling exercise stimuli (90-110 % of peak power) for 60 s followed by 75 s of active recovery three times per week, for 4 weeks (12 HIIT sessions). After each HIIT session, the CWI had their lower limbs immersed in cold water (10°C) for 15 min and the CON recovered at room temperature. Exercise performance was evaluated before and after HIIT by a 15-km cycling time trial. Vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained pre and 72 h post training. Samples were analyzed for heat shock protein 72 kDa (Hsp72), adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK), and phosphorylated p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p-p38 MAPK) assessed by western blot. In addition, the mRNA expression of heat shock factor-1 (HSF-1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1α (PGC-1α), nuclear respiratory factor 1 and 2 (NRF1 and 2), mitochondrial transcription factor A (Tfam), calcium calmodulin-dependent protein kinase 2 (CaMK2) and enzymes citrate synthase (CS), carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1), and pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase (PDK4) were assessed by real-time PCR. Time to complete the 15-km cycling time trial was reduced with training (p < 0.001), but was not different between groups (p = 0.33). The Hsp72 (p = 0.01), p38 MAPK, and AMPK (p = 0.04) contents increased with training, but were not different between groups (p > 0.05). No differences were observed with training or condition for mRNA expression of PGC-1α (p = 0.31), CPT1 (p = 0.14), CS (p = 0.44), and NRF-2 (p = 0.82). However, HFS-1 (p = 0.007), PDK4 (p = 0.03), and Tfam (p = 0.03) mRNA were higher in CWI. NRF-1 decrease in both groups after training (p = 0.006). CaMK2 decreased with HIIT (p = 0.003) but it was not affected by CWI (p = 0.99). Cold water immersion does not alter HIIT-induced Hsp72, AMPK, p38 MAPK, and exercise performance but was able to increase some markers of cellular stress response and signaling molecules related to mitochondria biogenesis.

Whole-body cryotherapy does not augment adaptations to high-intensity interval training

“…Despite increases in P peak and TT 20 mean power, regular post-exercise WBC during 4 weeks of HIT had no significant effect on improvements in these markers of endurance performance, nor T max or W Tmax . This is consistent with the reported effects of regular CWI on cycling performance 31,32 , and thus supports the notion that regular cryotherapy during an endurance exercise training period has limited effect on augmenting training-induced changes in aerobic adaptations 25 . In the current study, the large (but not significant) differences between conditions following training for T max (3.9% for CON vs .…”

Muscle Strength and Power: Primary Outcome Measures to Assess Cold Water Immersion Efficacy After Exercise With a Strong Strength or Power Component

“…However, Lindsay et al ( 2016 ) showed that repeated CWI applied to mixed martial artists during a training camp attenuated the inflammatory response, but did not affect measures of performance. Repeated CWI applied after high intensity interval training (HIIT) or a combination of HIIT with low-moderate intensity aerobic exercise also does not influence indices of performance or muscle cellular signaling (Halson et al, 2014 ; Aguiar et al, 2016 ; Christiansen et al, 2018 ). Although these studies represent only a small proportion of published CWI research, they do demonstrate the complexity in understanding the value of this recovery intervention.…”

Cross-Adaptation: Heat and Cold Adaptation to Improve Physiological and Cellular Responses to Hypoxia

“…Accordingly, a future research direction should investigate normal, scheduled training in the morning with subsequent cold exposures in the late afternoon or evening once recovery from the exercise has largely been facilitated. This method has potential additional benefits of improving sleep quality [ 166 ] and providing a reduction in thermal strain during ensuing exercise bouts [ 167 ], with some data showing that cold-water immersion following high-intensity interval training in the heat is able to further increase gene transcripts allied to mitochondrial biogenesis and the HSP response [ 168 ]. There is potential for cold-water immersions to ‘blunt’ training adaptation, however this appears more relevant to resistance training paradigms [ 169 , 170 ], when implemented immediately post-exercise [ 171 ], a modality that is highly unlikely to be used for cross-adaptation.…”