Cold Water Mediates Greater Reductions in Limb Blood Flow than Whole Body Cryotherapy
Mawhinney C, Low DA, Jones H, Green DJ, Costello JT, Gregson W
Medicine and science in sports and exercise · 44 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Randomized controlled trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2017-02-14 · Med Sci Sports Exerc · vol. 49 · issue 6 · pp. 1252–1260
- Publisher
- Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
- Cited
- 62 citations · more than 94% of similar papers · 4.3× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 44 works
- Access
- Open access (repository copy) · OTHER-OA
- Research areas
- Exercise and Physiological Responses · Thermoregulation and physiological responses · Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Keywords
- Medicine, Cryotherapy, Blood flow, Crossover study, Thigh, Femoral artery, Cardiology, Internal medicine, Anesthesia, Surgery, Pathology
- MeSH
- lower extremity, muscle, skeletal, rectum, femoral artery, skin, humans, water, body temperature, cryotherapy, cross-over studies, immersion, body temperature regulation, skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, regional blood flow, vasoconstriction, bicycling, male, cold temperature, young adult
6 authors
From GB, AU
- Chris MawhinneyLiverpool John Moores University
- David A. LowLiverpool John Moores University
- Helen E JonesLiverpool John Moores University
- DANIEL JOHN GREENThe University of Western Australia; Liverpool John Moores University
- Joseph T. CostelloUniversity of Portsmouth
- Warren A. GregsonLiverpool John Moores University
Abstract
Purpose
Cold-water immersion (CWI) and whole body cryotherapy (WBC) are widely used recovery methods in an attempt to limit exercise-induced muscle damage, soreness, and functional deficits after strenuous exercise. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of ecologically valid CWI and WBC protocols on postexercise lower limb thermoregulatory, femoral artery, and cutaneous blood flow responses.
Methods
Ten males completed a continuous cycle exercise protocol at 70% maximal oxygen uptake until a rectal temperature of 38°C was attained. Participants were then exposed to lower-body CWI (8°C) for 10 min, or WBC (-110°C) for 2 min, in a randomized crossover design. Rectal and thigh skin, deep, and superficial muscle temperatures, thigh, and calf skin blood flow (laser Doppler flowmetry), superficial femoral artery blood flow (duplex ultrasound), and arterial blood pressure were measured before, and for 40 min post, cooling interventions.
Results
Greater reductions in thigh skin (CWI, -5.9°C ± 1.8°C; WBC, 0.2°C ± 0.5°C; P < 0.001) and superficial (CWI, -4.4°C ± 1.3°C; WBC, -1.8°C ± 1.1°C; P < 0.001) and deep (CWI, -2.9°C ± 0.8°C; WBC, -1.3°C ± 0.6°C; P < 0.001) muscle temperatures occurred immediately after CWI. Decreases in femoral artery conductance were greater after CWI (CWI, -84% ± 11%; WBC, -59% ± 21%, P < 0.02) and thigh (CWI, -80% ± 5%; WBC, -59% ± 14%, P < 0.001), and calf (CWI, -73% ± 13%; WBC, -45% ± 17%, P < 0.001) cutaneous vasoconstriction was greater after CWI. Reductions in rectal temperature were similar between conditions after cooling (CWI, -0.6°C ± 0.4°C; WBC, -0.6°C ± 0.3°C; P = 0.98).
Conclusion
Greater reductions in blood flow and tissue temperature were observed after CWI in comparison with WBC. These novel findings have practical and clinical implications for the use of cooling in the recovery from exercise and injury.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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