Cold Water Mediates Greater Reductions in Limb Blood Flow than Whole Body Cryotherapy

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 degrees C was attained. Participants were then exposed to lower-body CWI (8 degrees C) for 10 min, or WBC (-110 degrees 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 degrees C 1.8 degrees C; WBC, 0.2 degrees C +/- 0.5 degrees C; P < 0.001) and superficial (CWI, -4.4 degrees C +/- 1.3 degrees C; WBC, -1.8 degrees C +/- 1.1 degrees C; P < 0.001) and deep (CWI, -2.9 degrees C +/- 0.8 degrees C; WBC, -1.3 degrees C +/- 0.6 degrees 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 degrees C +/- 0.4 degrees C; WBC, -0.6 degrees C +/- 0.3 degrees 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.