AUTHOR=Wolska Beata , Domagała Łukasz , Kisilewicz Aleksandra , Hassanlouei Hamidollah , Makar Piotr , Kawczyński Adam , Klich Sebastian TITLE=Multiple cryosauna sessions for post-exercise recovery of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS): a randomized control trial JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology VOLUME=14 YEAR=2023 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2023.1253140 DOI=10.3389/fphys.2023.1253140 ISSN=1664-042X ABSTRACT=

The main goal was to investigate the effectiveness of cryosauna in preventing the development of delayed onset muscle soreness and to analyze the regenerative changes within muscles after acute fatigue-induced exercises. Thirty-one volunteers were assigned into two groups: 1) an intervention group that participated in cryostimulation after fatigue-induced exercise protocol (CRYO, n = 16) and a control group that performed fatigue-induced exercise protocol, but without any intervention (CONT, n = 15). Main outcome measures include at baseline: blood sample testing (leukocyte content, myoglobin concentration, and creatine kinase activity) and muscle stiffness of lower extremity; immediately after (stiffness), and 24-48-72-96 h post-exercise (blood samples and stiffness). Both groups performed an exercise-induced muscle damage protocol based on repeated countermovement jumps (10 sets, 10 repetitions). The CRYO group underwent a cryosauna (temperature: −110°C, time: 1.5 min per session) intervention during four sessions (i.e., immediately after, 24-48-72 h post-exercise). Leukocyte content was significantly greater 24-48-72 h after exercise in CONT, compared with the CRYO group (p ≤ 0.05 for all), while creatine kinase activity was greater 24-48-96 h in CONT, compared with the CRYO group (p ≤ 0.05 for all). Muscle stiffness increased significantly in rectus femoris, tibialis anterior, and fibula muscle after 48 h post-exercise (p ≤ 0.05 for all), as well as in tibialis anterior and fibula after 72 h post-exercise (p ≤ 0.05 for all) in the CRYO group. Multiple cryosauna was an effective recovery strategy that reduced blood biomarkers and muscle stiffness after exercise-induced muscle damage. Moreover, the development of delayed onset muscle soreness, expressed by a greater muscle stiffness post-exercise, was attenuated to the first 48 h.