A single 10-min bout of cold-water immersion therapy after strenuous plyometric exercise has no beneficial effect on recovery from the symptoms of exercise-induced muscle damage

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a single bout of cold-water immersion on recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage. Eighteen physically active female volunteers (age 19.9 (0.97 years), height 1.66 (0.05m), mass 63.7 (10kg), completed 10 sets of 10 counter-movement jumps to induce muscle damage and were randomly allocated to a control or treatment group. The treatment group was given a single 10-min bout of lower limb cold-water immersion therapy at 10C immediately following damage-inducing exercise. Indicators of muscle damage (plasma creatine kinase activity, perceived soreness and maximal voluntary contraction of the quadriceps) were assessed immediately prior to counter-movement jumps, and at 1, 24, 48, 72 and 96h, following the damaging exercise. Significant (p=0.05) time effects were recorded on all indicators of muscle damage, but there were no significant group or grouptime interaction effects found on any of the measured variables. The results indicate that a single bout of cold-water immersion after a damaging bout of exercise has no beneficial effects on the recovery from exercise-induced muscle damage.