Influence of Various Cooling Down Techniques on Athlete Recovery

Abstract

Introduction: Athlete recovery plays a pivotal role in optimizing sports performance and minimizing the risk of injury.

Objectives: The study will compare the effectiveness of various cooling down methods in enhancing post-exercise recovery.

Methods: A randomized experimental study design was intended to examine the influence of different cooling techniques on athlete recovery.  A total of sixty participants (age: 24.0 ± 0.9 years, height: 169.4 ± 5.2 cm and body mass: 60.9 ± 6.3 kg) were randomly assigned to cold-water immersion (CWI), active cooling down activity (ACD) or yogic practice (YP) groups. "DOMYOS High-Performance Treadmill T900D" has been used for 10 minutes of incremental running protocol starting from 5 km/h and 4% incline, up to 12 km/h and 8% incline. Physiological parameters including heart rate (HR), blood glucose (BG), and hemoglobin (Hb) levels were measured pre-exercise (~5 minutes before treadmill running), post-exercise (immediate after treadmill running) and post-recovery (~10 minutes after treadmill running).

Results: One-way ANOVA revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in pre-exercise HR (CWI: 79.0±4.2 bpm, ACD: 75.9±2.5 bpm, YP: 82.4±3.7 bpm), post-exercise HR (CWI: 181.5±6.0 bpm, ACD: 184.9±3.62 bpm, YP: 181.1±4.62 bpm) and post-recovery HR (CWI: 106.4±3.72 bpm, ACD: 102.9±10.0 bpm, YP: 105.8±10.8 bpm) among the groups. Similar finding has been observed in blood glucose (BG) and level of hemoglobin (Hb).

Conclusions: The study highlights the comparable effectiveness of CWI, ACD and YP in facilitating athlete recovery, suggesting that individuals can select a cooling technique based on personal preference without compromising recovery outcomes.