Abstract
Purpose
The study aimed to investigate the effect of repeated cold-water immersion (CWI) after high-intensity interval exercise sessions on cardiac-autonomic modulation, neuromuscular performance, muscle damage markers, and session internal load.
Methods
Twenty-one participants underwent five sessions of high-intensity interval exercise (6–7 bouts of 2 min; pause of 2 min) over a two-week period. Participants were allocated randomly into either a group that underwent CWI (11-min; 11 °C) or a group that performed passive recovery after each exercise session. Before the exercise sessions were performed, countermovement jump (CMJ) and heart rate variability were recorded (i.e., rMSSD, low and high frequency power and its ratio, SD1 and SD2). Exercise heart rate was calculated by recording the area under the curve (AUC) response. Internal session load was evaluated 30 min after each session. Blood concentrations of creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase were analyzed before the first visit and 24 h after the last sessions.
Results
The CWI group presented higher rMSSD than the control group at each time point (group-effect P = 0.037). The SD1 was higher in CWI group when compared to the control group following the last exercise session (interaction P = 0.038). SD2 was higher in CWI group compared to the control group at each time point (group-effect P = 0.030). Both groups presented equal CMJ performance (P > 0.05), internal load (group-effect P = 0.702; interaction P = 0.062), heart rate AUC (group-effect P = 0.169; interaction P = 0.663), and creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase blood concentrations (P > 0.05).
Conclusion
Repeated post-exercise CWI improves cardiac-autonomic modulation. However, no differences in neuromuscular performance, muscle damage markers, or session internal load were demonstrated between the groups.
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Availability of data and material
The data presented in this study are available via request to the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy.
Abbreviations
- CMJ:
-
Countermovement jump
- CWI:
-
Cold-water immersion
- CK:
-
Creatine kinase
- Δ%:
-
Percentage of change compared to baseline
- GXT:
-
Graded exercise testing
- HF:
-
High frequency
- HF:LF:
-
Low frequency and high frequency ratio
- HRV:
-
Heart rate variability
- LDH:
-
Lactate dehydrogenase
- LF:
-
Low frequency
- rMSSD:
-
Root mean square of successive RR interval differences
- RPE:
-
Perceived exertion scale
- SD1:
-
Standard deviation perpendicular to the line of identity
- SD2:
-
Standard deviation parallel to the line of identity
- \(\dot{V}O_{2}\): :
-
Oxygen uptake
- \(\dot{V}O_{2\max }\) :
-
Maximal oxygen uptake
- \(v\dot{V}O_{2\max }\) :
-
Minimal exercise velocity at which maximal oxygen uptake was reached
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Funding
Malta ES and Lopes VHF were supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) fellowship (#2017/21724–8 and #2019/22726–0, respectively). Zagatto AM received grants from CNPq Process 307719/2016–2. Malta ES, Lopes VHF, and Zagatto AM were also supported by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brazil (CAPES) – Finance Code 001.
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The study was designed by ESM and AMZ. Malta ES and VHFL participated in data acquisition. ESM, VHFL, ME, and AMZ drafted the manuscript. All authors critically reviewed the manuscript, and approved the final manuscript as submitted.
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Malta ES, Lopes VHF, Esco M, and Zagatto AM declare that they have no conflicts of interest relevant to the content of this study.
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All procedures were approved by Sao Paulo State University Research Ethics Board (protocol no. 82797718.8.0000.5398) and conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki.
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Communicated by Massimo Pagani.
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Malta, E.S., Lopes, V.H.F., Esco, M.R. et al. Repeated cold-water immersion improves autonomic cardiac modulation following five sessions of high-intensity interval exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 123, 1939–1948 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05205-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-023-05205-4