Cold Vs Warm Water Immersion for DOMS Recovery

Launched by JÓZEF PIŁSUDSKI UNIVERSITY OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION · Jan 27, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how well cold water immersion (CWI) and hot water immersion (HWI) help reduce muscle soreness that often occurs after intense exercise, known as Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS). This type of soreness usually happens 1 to 3 days after exercising and can cause pain and difficulty moving. The researchers want to compare the effects of cold and hot water treatments to see which one works better for recovery.

To participate in the study, you need to be a healthy male aged 18 to 25, with a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 30. You should also experience muscle soreness rated above 5 on a scale of 0 to 10 after exercising and be active for a few hours each week. If you qualify and decide to join, you’ll undergo a standardized exercise to induce soreness and then receive either cold or hot water treatment, while your recovery will be monitored through various tests. This study aims to provide clearer answers about the best ways to recover after exercise, which could help both athletes and others who exercise regularly.

Gender

MALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Healthy males aged 18-25 years
• • BMI between 18.5 and 30 kg/m²
• • Experiencing muscle pain (VAS scale) \> 5 for muscle soreness within 12 to 30 hours post-exercise
• • Engage in moderate physical activity 2-5 hours/week, according to the International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF).
• • They must voluntarily sign a written informed consent approved by an ethics/bioethics committee after sufficient explanation prior to participating in the study.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Inflammatory diseases within the past 6 months
• • Neurological disorders that affect muscle strength
• • Ongoing use of steroids, analgesics, muscle relaxants, or other medications deemed inappropriate by the researchers, including antispasmodics, antidepressants, antidiarrheals, antibiotics, or thrombolytics
• • Unstable medical condition such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal disease, hepatobiliary disease, metabolic disease, endocrine disease, kidney disease, urinary tract disease, genetic disorders, or issues related to the nervous system or mental health.
• • Participants who have abused alcohol or drugs in the past year, do not wish to follow the study guidelines, or are deemed inappropriate for the study by the researcher will also be excluded.