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Effect of repeated post-resistance exercise cold or hot water immersion on in-season inflammatory responses in academy rugby players : A randomised controlled cross-over design
Horgan, Barry G. West, Nicholas P. Tee, Nicolin Halson, Shona L. Drinkwater, Eric J. Chapman, Dale W. Haff, G. Gregory
Horgan, Barry G.
West, Nicholas P.
Tee, Nicolin
Halson, Shona L.
Drinkwater, Eric J.
Chapman, Dale W.
Haff, G. Gregory
Abstract
Purpose
Uncertainty exists if post-resistance exercise hydrotherapy attenuates chronic inflammatory and hormone responses. The effects of repeated post-resistance exercise water immersion on inflammatory and hormone responses in athletes were investigated.
Methods
Male, academy Super Rugby players (n = 18, 19.9 ± 1.5 y, 1.85 ± 0.06 m, 98.3 ± 10.7 kg) participated in a 12-week programme divided into 3
4-week blocks of post-resistance exercise water immersion (either, no immersion control [CON]; cold [CWI]; or hot [HWI] water immersion), utilising a randomised cross-over pre-post design. Fasted, morning blood measures were collected prior to commencement of first intervention block, and every fourth week thereafter. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyse main (treatment, time) and interaction effects.
Results
Repeated CWI (p = 0.025, g = 0.05) and HWI (p < 0.001, g = 0.62) reduced creatine kinase (CK), compared to CON. HWI decreased (p = 0.013, g = 0.59) interleukin (IL)-1ra, compared to CON. HWI increased (p < 0.001–0.026, g = 0.06–0.17) growth factors (PDGF-BB, IGF-1), compared to CON and CWI. CWI increased (p = 0.004, g = 0.46) heat shock protein-72 (HSP-72), compared to HWI.
Conclusion
Post-resistance exercise CWI or HWI resulted in trivial and moderate reductions in CK, respectively, which may be partly due to hydrostatic effects of water immersion. Post-resistance exercise HWI moderately decreased IL-1ra, which may be associated with post-resistance exercise skeletal muscle inflammation influencing chronic resistance exercise adaptive responses. Following post-resistance exercise water immersion, CWI increased HSP-72 suggesting a thermoregulatory response indicating improved adaptive inflammatory responses to temperature changes, while HWI increased growth factors (PDGF-BB, IGF-1) indicating different systematic signalling pathway activation. Our data supports the continued use of post-resistance exercise water immersion recovery strategies of any temperature during in-season competition phases for improved inflammatory adaptive responses in athletes.
Keywords
strength training, team sports, hydrotherapy, recovery, inflammation
Date
2024
Type
Journal article
Journal
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Book
Volume
124
Issue
9
Page Range
2615-2628
Article Number
ACU Department
Mary MacKillop Institute for Health Research
Faculty of Health Sciences
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
© The Author(s) 2024.
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