AUTHOR=Egaña Mikel , Allen Lynn , Gleeson Kate , Gildea Norita , Warmington Stuart 

TITLE=Post-exercise Cold Water Immersion Does Not Improve Subsequent 4-km Cycling Time-Trial Compared With Passive and Active Recovery in Normothermia

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=3

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2021.738870

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2021.738870

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Background:</bold> We investigated whether a brief cold water immersion between two cycling time trials (TT) improves the performance of the latter compared with passive and active recovery in normothermic conditions (~20°C).</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> In <italic>Experiment 1</italic> 10 active participants (4 women) completed two 4-km TT (Ex1 and Ex2, each preceded by a 12 min moderate-intensity warm-up) separated by a 15 min recovery period consisting of: (a) passive rest (PAS) or (b) 5 min cold water immersion at 8°C (CWI-5). In <italic>Experiment 2</italic>, 13 different active males completed the same Ex1 and Ex2 bouts separated by a 15 min recovery consisting of: (a) PAS, (b) 10 min cold water immersion at 8°C (CWI-10) or (c) 15 min of moderate-intensity active recovery (ACT).</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> In both experiments, the time to complete the 4-km TT-s was not different (<italic>P</italic> &gt; 0.05, ES = 0.1) among the trials neither in Ex1 (<italic>Experiment 1</italic>: PAS: 414 ± 39 s; CWI-5: 410 ± 39 s; <italic>Experiment 2</italic>: PAS: 402 ± 41 s; CWI-10: 404 ± 43 s; ACT: 407 ± 41 s) nor Ex2 (<italic>Experiment 1</italic>: PAS: 432 ± 43 s; CWI-5: 428 ± 47 s; <italic>Experiment 2</italic>: PAS: 418 ± 52 s; CWI-10: 416 ± 57 s; ACT: 421 ± 50 s). In addition, in all conditions, the time to complete the time trials was longer (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05, ES = 0.4) in Ex2 than Ex1. Core temperature was lower (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) during the majority of Ex2 after CW-5 compared with passive rest (<italic>Experiment 1</italic>) and after CWI-10 compared with PAS and ACT (<italic>Experiment 2</italic>). Perceived exertion was also lower (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05) at mid-point of Ex2 after CWI-5 compared with PAS (<italic>Experiment 1</italic>) as well as overall lower during the CWI-10 compared with PAS and ACT conditions (<italic>Experiment 2</italic>).</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> A post-exercise 5–10 min cold water immersion does not influence subsequent 4-km TT performance in normothermia, despite evoking reductions in thermal strain.</p>