Cold and Warm Water for Performance Recovery

NCT04902924 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: 2021-00546
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The overall aim of this study is, to evaluate the effectiveness of repeated cold- and warm water immersion on performance recovery after muscle damage.

Conditions

Healthy

Keywords

cold water immersion; warm water immersion; muscle damage; recovery

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (7)

• Maximum Voluntary Isometric Contraction (N)

  maximun voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensor muscle will be assessed.

  baseline to 72 hours

• Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

  delayed onset of muscle soreness will be measured using a 0-10 scale, where 0 indicated no soreness and 10 indicates maximum soreness of the knee extensor muscles

  baseline to 72 hours

• Muscle Swelling

  swelling of the knee extensor muscle will be performed using a ultrasound device.

  baseline to 72 hours

• Creatine-kinase (U/l)

  using a blood sample (6 ml), creatine-kinase will be assessed

  baseline to 72 hours

• Muscle Blood Oxygenation

  Muscle oxygenation saturation (SmO2) of the knee extensor muscle will be measured using near-infrared spectroscopy device. Oxygenated haemoglobin (oxyHb), deoxygenated haemoglobin (deoxyHb) and total haemoglobin (TotHb) were assessed in arbitrary units and SmO2 was calculated as oxyHb/TotHb x 100 value (%)

  through recovery intervention up to 30 minutes

• Skin Temperature (°C)

  Skin temperature will be measured using a near infrared thermography camera

  through recovery intervention up to 30 minutes

• Core Temperature (°C)

  core temperature will be measured using temperature pill that will provide real time values from the gastrointestinal region

  through recovery intervention up to 30 minutes

Study Arms (3)

Repeated cold-water immersion

EXPERIMENTAL

In this arm, the participants undergo repeated cold water immersion at 10°C for 2 x 5 min. Between the immersion, a break will be conducted 2.5 min. Participants will be immersed up to the iliac crest

Behavioral: repeated cold water therapy

Repeated warm-water immersion

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

In this arm, the participants undergo repeated warm water immersion at 40°C for 2 x 5 min. Between the immersion, a break will be conducted 2.5 min. Participants will be immersed up to the iliac crestParticipants will be immersed up to the iliac crest.

Behavioral: repeated warm water therapy

Control

OTHER

In this arm, the participants undergo the control intervention which comprises to remain seated for 12.5 min. The participants, that will perform the muscle damaging protocol under hypoxia will also be treated with the control condition.

Other: control

Interventions

repeated cold water therapy BEHAVIORAL

This information can be found the description of the experimental arm.

Repeated cold-water immersion

repeated warm water therapy BEHAVIORAL

This information can be found the description of the experimental arm.

Repeated warm-water immersion

control OTHER

This information can be found the description of the experimental arm.

Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 35 Years
• Sex: female
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy participants
• No surgeries
• No previous injuries
• Anticonceptiva allowed

You may not qualify if:

• Acute injuries or current pain situations
• Cryophobia
• Fear
• Pregnancy
• Raynaud syndrome
• Medication intake

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

Landquart, Kanton Graubünden, 7302, Switzerland

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Wellauer V, Clijsen R, Bianchi G, Riggi E, Hohenauer E. No acceleration of recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage after cold or hot water immersion in women: A randomised controlled trial. PLoS One. 2025 May 7;20(5):e0322416. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322416. eCollection 2025.

  PMID: 40333546 RESULT

• Hohenauer E, Bianchi G, Wellauer V, Taube W, Clijsen R. Acute physiological responses and muscle recovery in females: a randomised controlled trial of muscle damaging exercise in hypoxia. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2024 Mar 22;16(1):70. doi: 10.1186/s13102-024-00861-1.

  PMID: 38520001 DERIVED

Related Links

• Full-text of the publication

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Vanessa Wellauer
• Organization: Rehabilitation and Exercise Science Laboratory (RESlab), University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)

vanessa.wellauer@supsi.ch

0041 81 300 01 78

Study Officials

• Ron Clijsen, PhD

  University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Head of research

Model Details: This study is a randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 29, 2021
• First Posted: May 26, 2021
• Study Start: October 1, 2021
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2022
• Study Completion: May 1, 2022
• Last Updated: October 7, 2025
• Results First Posted: September 24, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CH (1)