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Introduction

The usage of post-exercise cooling as a recovery strategy has become a popular endeavour amongst
athletes. It is thought to be able to enhance the recovery physical performance and possibly enhance
chronic training adaptations. Previous reviews have stated that post exercise cooling could aid in
reducing exercise-induced muscle damage, reduce inflammation and oedema, and alleviate feelings
of muscle soreness (1-5).

Enhancing recovery of neuromuscular function and physical performance following exercise is


essential to optimize the quality of the following training sessions and to maximize athletic
performance during competition. Moreover, enhancing physical recovery proves advantageous in
boosting the overall training volume among seasoned athletes, thereby promoting training
adaptations while potentially mitigating the risks of overtraining and injury (6). Local ice pack cooling
is an effective cooling method and can successfully cool deep tissues in the upper thigh (7, 8).
Furthermore, ice pack cooling may have positive results on the E-C coupling process, possibly
increasing muscular force production (9). However, there still remains a lack of evidence regarding
the efficacy of local ice-pack cooling on the short-term recovery of DOMS and MVC (10, 11).
References
1. Versey NG, Halson SL, Dawson BT. Water immersion recovery for athletes: effect on exercise
performance and practical recommendations. Sports Med. 2013;43(11):1101-30.
2. Hyldahl RD, Peake JM. Combining cooling or heating applications with exercise training to
enhance performance and muscle adaptations. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2020;129(2):353-65.
3. Broatch JR, Petersen A, Bishop DJ. The Influence of Post-Exercise Cold-Water Immersion on
Adaptive Responses to Exercise: A Review of the Literature. Sports Med. 2018;48(6):1369-87.
4. Higgins TR, Greene DA, Baker MK. Effects of Cold Water Immersion and Contrast Water
Therapy for Recovery From Team Sport: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res.
2017;31(5):1443-60.
5. Ihsan M, Watson G, Abbiss CR. What are the Physiological Mechanisms for Post-Exercise Cold
Water Immersion in the Recovery from Prolonged Endurance and Intermittent Exercise? Sports Med.
2016;46(8):1095-109.
6. Chaillou T, Treigyte V, Mosely S, Brazaitis M, Venckunas T, Cheng AJ. Functional Impact of Post-
exercise Cooling and Heating on Recovery and Training Adaptations: Application to Resistance,
Endurance, and Sprint Exercise. Sports Med Open. 2022;8(1):37.
7. Janwantanakul P. The effect of quantity of ice and size of contact area on ice pack/skin
interface temperature. Physiotherapy. 2009;95(2):120-5.
8. Mars M, Hadebe B, Tufts M. The effect of icepack cooling on skin and muscle temperature at
rest and after exercise. South African Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009;18:60.
9. Yamamoto D, Imai T, Tsuda E, Hozuki T, Yamauchi R, Hisahara S, et al. Effect of local cooling on
excitation-contraction coupling in myasthenic muscle: Another mechanism of ice-pack test in
myasthenia gravis. Clin Neurophysiol. 2017;128(11):2309-17.
10. Hohenauer E, Costello JT, Stoop R, Küng UM, Clarys P, Deliens T, et al. Cold-water or partial-
body cryotherapy? Comparison of physiological responses and recovery following muscle damage.
Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2018;28(3):1252-62.
11. Hohenauer E, Costello JT, Deliens T, Clarys P, Stoop R, Clijsen R. Partial-body cryotherapy (-
135°C) and cold-water immersion (10°C) after muscle damage in females. Scand J Med Sci Sports.
2020;30(3):485-95.

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