Abstract
Purpose
This study examined the effects of daily post-exercise cold-water immersion (CWI) on match performance, perceptual recovery, and biomarkers of muscle damage and metabolic load during a 5-day international tournament of elite youth field-hockey players.
Methods
The entire German under-18 national squad (n = 18) was randomly assigned to a daily CWI- (5-min at ~ 6 °C; excluding the head; n = 9) or passive recovery (CON; n = 9) intervention. Training and match performance were assessed using a GPS-tracking system and perceived exertion (RPE). Daily ratings of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), perceived stress and recovery, quality of sleep, heart-rate recovery and serum creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase, and urea nitrogen were also recorded. Repeated-sprint ability (RSA) and counter-movement jump (CMJ) were carried out on days 1 and 5.
Results
There was no significance between intervention differences in time-on pitch, total distance, velocity zones, and accelerometer-base parameters during match performance (all p > 0.05). DOMS (p < 0.01), RPE (p < 0.01), and CK (p < 0.01) were significantly elevated over the course of the tournament; however, no between-intervention effects were observed (all p > 0.05). Both groups were able to maintain RSA and CMJ (all p > 0.05).
Conclusion
In conclusion, daily post-exercise CWI did not improve match performance, perceptual recovery, or biomarkers of muscle damage and metabolic load in elite youth field-hockey players.
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Abbreviations
- ACC:
-
Accelerations
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- BUN:
-
Blood urea nitrogen
- CK:
-
Creatine kinase
- CMJ:
-
Counter-movement jump
- CON:
-
Control
- CWI:
-
Cold-water immersion
- DEC:
-
Decelerations
- DOMS:
-
Delayed onset muscle soreness
- ExE:
-
Explosive efforts
- GPS:
-
Global positioning system
- HRex :
-
Exercise heart rate
- HRR:
-
Heart-rate recovery
- HSD:
-
High-speed distance
- LDH:
-
Lactate dehydrogenase
- RPE:
-
Rating of perceived exertion
- RSA:
-
Repeated-sprint ability
- TD:
-
Total distance
- T skin :
-
Skin temperature
- VZ:
-
Velocity zone
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all field-hockey players of the under-18 German National Squad who participated in this study, and all trainers and staff members for their help and support.
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This study received no funding from any grant or organization.
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MK, PW, MS, and JM conceived and designed the study. MK, MS, and PW performed the experiments. MK, PW, and JM contributed reagents, materials, and analysis tools. MK, JC, MS, and PW analyzed the data. MK and JC wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
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Krueger, M., Costello, J.T., Stenzel, M. et al. The physiological effects of daily cold-water immersion on 5-day tournament performance in international standard youth field-hockey players. Eur J Appl Physiol 120, 295–305 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04274-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-019-04274-8