Effects of the systematic application of cold-water immersion on clinical parameters and performance in swimming athletes: placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial

• Grant number: 19/19123-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2020
• End date: December 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Carlos Marcelo Pastre
• Grantee: Caio Russo Dutra Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia (FCT). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Presidente Prudente. Presidente Prudente , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cold-water immersion is a recuperative technique that has been used by swimming athletes in order to optimize the training-recovery balance. Despite the growing number of publications on this topic, there are still questions to be answered, such as the effects of a systematized application. Objectives: To analyze the effects of systematized and training-adjusted application of cold-water immersion on the perception of well-being, pain and performance of swimming athletes, as well as to compare such effects to the placebo condition of the technique and to control group. Methods: Cross-over randomized clinical trial with 18 athletes, between 12 and 20 years old, of both genders. The study will take place during six weeks of training, with the application of recovery techniques in weeks 2, 4 and 6. From Monday to Friday participants will hold training sessions, consisting of physical training followed by swimming training. The recovery interventions [cold-water immersion (14 ± 1 ° C), thermo neutral water immersion (27 ± 1 ° C) and control recovery] will be performed for 12 minutes on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays between physical training and the swimming training. On Saturdays the performance test will be applied, consisting of two maximum freestyle shots of 100 meters, assessing the athlete's performance, well-being perception and pain levels. The athletes will be randomized in different sequences (S1; S2; S3), which will be differentiated by the order of the recovery interventions. Mixed Variance Analysis (ANOVA) will be performed for comparison between groups and between pre and post moments for each variable at P level <0,05.