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Influence of Cooling on the Effect of Strength Training

Influence of Cooling on the Effect of Strength Training

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT03332446
Acronym
IceAge
Enrollment
11
Registered
2017-11-06
Start date
2014-08-31
Completion date
2017-07-31
Last updated
2017-11-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Strength Training Effects

Keywords

cold water immersion, strength training, training effect

Brief summary

The aim of this study is to investigate if regular cold water immersion after strength training has a negative influence on the desired training-induced performance enhancement.

Detailed description

Recovery strategies represent a not sufficiently investigated chance in elite training control to optimize the complete training process. Coaches and athletes are confronted with numerous potentially effective recovery methods, e.g. cooling, warming, active recovery, compression, massage or power naps. However, the effectivity of these methods has rarely been investigated under controlled scientific conditions. Based on the state of the art,so far hardly any definite practical conclusions regarding effective recovery methods can be drawn, especially regarding sport-specific strategies and settings. Currently, cold water immersion is a particularly popular recovery strategy. However, there are hints that repeated cooling interventions after training can impair the training effect. This could potentially be caused by a faster reconstitution of homeostasis due to cooling. For fast recovery of performance, this effect would be desirable, but at the same time these homeostatic disturbances are the basis of signal processes leading to training adaptations. The aim of this study is to investigate if regular cold water immersion after strength training has a negative influence on the desired training-induced performance enhancement.

Interventions

10 min at 12-15°C

Sponsors

Universität des Saarlandes
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* healthy, 18-40 years, strength training experience, 8 weeks no leg strength training

Exclusion criteria

\-

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
1 Repetition Maximum8 weeksMaximum weight in kg that can be successfully moved in a leg press

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
blood parameters8 weeksCRP, CK, IL-6, IGF-1
muscle biopsy8 weeksp70S6, PAX7+, NCAM+
muscle thickness8 weeksupper leg circumference in cm
Counter Movement Jump8 weeksMaximum jump height in cm in a counter movement jump, measured with a force plate
time in bed2 weeksQuestionnaire recording time of going to bed (time in hh:mm), sleep onset latency (duration in min), waking time (time in hh:mm), and time of getting up (time in hh:mm). From these items, the average time in bed per day is calculated, starting at time of going to bed and ending at time of getting up.
sleeping time2 weeksQuestionnaire recording time of going to bed (time in hh:mm), sleep onset latency (duration in min), waking time (time in hh:mm), and time of getting up (time in hh:mm). From these items, the average sleeping time per day is calculated, starting at time of going to bed + sleep onset latency and ending at waking time.
questionnaire on recovery and stress2 weeksShort Recovery and Stress Scale for Sport (SRSS): assessing recovery (physical performance capability, mental performance capability, emotional balance, overall recovery) and stress (muscular stress, lack of activation, negative emotional state, overall stress), each item is rated on a 7-point rating scale (0: does not apply at all, 6: fully applies). For evaluation, two outcome values (recovery and stress) are calculated as the sum of the corresponding subvalues, i.e. each outcome value is on a 25-point scale (0: does not apply at all, 24: fully applies).
subjective restfulness of sleep2 weeks5-point Likert scale on subjective restfulness of sleep (1: very, 5: not at all)

Countries

Germany

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026