Thermal Sensations During a Partial-Body Cryostimulation Exposure in Elite Basketball Players

Abstract

Partial-body cryostimulation is used to improve recovery after exercise, especially during competitions or heavy training; however, a limited number of studies have been conducted with international-level athletes in situ during competitions. This study was undertaken to assess the thermal sensation ratings during 3 min of cold exposure (at –130°C) in 24 international-level athletes during the European Basketball Championship. The mean thermal sensation score, measured using a perceptive scale, increased significantly (p < 0.05) during partial-body cryostimulation exposure in athletes from 3.0 ± 1.7 at 30 s to 5.7 ± 2.3 at 3 min (maximal observed value = 10.0). The mean value of 5.7 is considered a “cold” sensation on the scale (ranging from 0 = neutral sensation to 10 = very cold). However, we observed a large inter-individual variation in the perceived thermal sensations. The body mass index was significantly and negatively correlated with the thermal sensation value after 2 min 30 s and 3 min of exposure in females (r = –0.61, n = 13, p < 0.05; r = –0.56, n = 13, p = 0.054, respectively). Three participants reported high perceived thermal sensation after 30 s of exposure and their cold-induced discomfort worsened as the exposure continued. In conclusion, a 3-min exposure is globally well tolerated by athletes and can be used during a heavy competition period and/or during a training period. However, special attention should be given to female athletes with a low body mass index as they seem to be much more sensitive to cold.

Cold Water Immersion After a Handball Training Session: The Relationship Between Physical Data and Sensorial Experience

“…The subjects also reported a strong emotional experience with CWI. Players described a varied range of different sensations over the 14-min of CWI from the initial discomfort and then on throughout the recovery and acclimatization which represents the common reaction after the cold shock (Castellani and Tipton, 2015 ; Bouzigon et al, 2018 ). Subject described sensorial experiences included their initial shock upon first entering the water and then how their first 3 min in the cold was associated with unprecedented and intense sensations that they felt they could not immediately control.…”

“…The variability between individuals in their thermoregulatory responses during cold exposure should be attributable to anthropometric differences (Bahnert et al, 2013 ; Castellani and Tipton, 2015 ). The cold creates a sensation of pain and discomfort which is due at least in part to the muscle tension and dizziness caused by hypotension following peripheral vasoconstriction (Bouzigon et al, 2018 ). The intensity of these painful sensations reduced over time, producing an analgesic effect and sense of well-being post-immersion (Elias et al, 2013 ; Park et al, 2018 ).…”

The Specific Judo Training Program Combined With the Whole Body Cryostimulation Induced an Increase of Serum Concentrations of Growth Factors and Changes in Amino Acid Profile in Professional Judokas

“…Although the increasing accessibility of cryo-chambers is making the implementation of whole body cryostimulation in training more feasible and convenient, reports on the application of this treatment as part of a professional training program are limited ( Rose et al, 2017 ). Therapies based on exposure to extremely low temperatures (−110 to −130°C) are known to be well-tolerated by professional athletes ( Bouzigon et al, 2018 ), to limit exercise-associated inflammation and to enhance athletes’ performance during demanding competition and training periods ( Ziemann et al, 2012 ; Schaal et al, 2015 ; Bouzigon et al, 2020 ). Positive impact on levels of growth factors such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) or insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), and blood concentrations of amino acids ( Jaworska et al, 2018 ), linked with this temperature range, have been recorded mainly in academic, non-professional athletes.…”

Short-Term Resistance Training Supported by Whole-Body Cryostimulation Induced a Decrease in Myostatin Concentration and an Increase in Isokinetic Muscle Strength

“…Among several interventions (including heat, manual therapy, and compression garments), cold treatment is a popular strategy to reduce EIMD symptoms [ 8 ]. Easily accessible, cold therapies such as ice bags, cold water immersion (CWI) [ 9 ], winter swimming [ 10 ], partial- and whole-body cryostimulation (CRY) [ 11 , 12 ] are particularly popular among professional sportsmen and late sport enthusiasts [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Nevertheless, recent reports have put forward a concept that resistance training combined with cold treatment may impair muscle adaptation to exercise.…”