Comparison of

Cryotherapy and Ice Baths

for Recovery

Marissa Steck, Katie Koziarz, Makayla Kintner

Background

● The study of the comparison of cryotherapy and ice baths is important in

order to find the most beneficial form of recovery through cold therapy.
● Whole Body Cryotherapy: uses dry cryogenically cooled air (-220°F to -280°F)
to reduce the skin’s temperature, while sitting in a cryotherapy chamber for 2-
3 minutes
● Ice Baths: cold water immersion (45°F to 60°F) for around 15 to 20 minutes
1. Literature Review
“A Comparison of the Efficiency of Three Different Cryotherapy Treatments Used in the Athletic
Recovery of Sportspeople”

➢ Cold Water Immersion

○ Subjects: 20 healthy males with exercise-induced muscle injury who had increased plasma levels of myoglobin
and creatine kinase (10 were assigned to control group)

○ Experiment: All subjects completed a 90-min intermittent shuttle run. Following the exercise, subjects received
cold water immersion of the legs (temperature: 10°C, time: 10 minutes).

○ Measuring: muscle soreness, creatine kinase and myoglobin plasma levels

○ Results: found that cold water immersion reduced muscle soreness at 1, 24, & 48 hours after exercise. Cold
water immersion had no effect on creatine kinase response, but reduced myoglobin plasma level at 1 hour
post- exercise. Cold water immersion immediately after exercise can be effective in eliminating the symptoms
of exercise-induced muscle damage.
2. Cryotherapy post-training reduces muscle damage markers
in jiu-jitsu fighters
➢Cold Water Immersion/Ice Baths
○Subjects: 9 highly trained males (age: 23.0 ± 4.4 yrs; BM: 68.0 ± 2.8 kg; height: 173.3 ± 1.7 cm;
body fat: 12.7 ± 3.5%), experienced in competition (5.2 ± 2.5 yrs), and belonging to the GFTeam.
All athletes were selected because they had at least three years of training experience in
Brazilian jiu-jitsu and had participated in at least three competitions in the past year.
○Experiment: Crossover design here two training sessions were separated by two days. 5 athletes
were randomly chosen to receive post-exercise cryotherapy, and the remaining athletes were in
the control group. The treatments were reversed on the second training day. Immediately after
the training session, these athletes were immersed in an ice bath (5±1°C) for 19 minutes, which
consisted of four cycles of four-minute immersions separated by one-minute intervals.
2. Cryotherapy post-training reduces muscle damage markers
in jiu-jitsu fighters
○ Measurements: Markers of muscle damage: serum CPK (Creatine Kinase) and LDH (Lactate dehydrogenase);
upper limb strength (Judogi Handgrip Test); perception of pain (Visual Analogue Scale); body temperature

○ Results:
■ Serum levels of CPK were only significant increased for the control condition; LDH increased significantly
in both conditions but post-recovery values were significantly higher control condition
■ Perceived pain increased significantly between the beginning and end of training. Post- exercise
cryotherapy resulted in hypoalgesia, which was not observed in the control condition
■ No significant increase in body temp between the beginning and end of training sessions. Body temp.
decreased significantly between the time after training and the end of recovery for the cryotherapy
condition

○ Conclusion: Cryotherapy post-training (5 ± 1oC) results in lower serum concentrations of CPK and LDH,
hypoalgesia, and maintenance of isometric strength endurance when compared to the control condition.
3. Cryotherapy Models and Timing-Sequence Recovery of
Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage
● Subjects: 12 middle and long distance runners from Beijing Sport University
● Exercise protocol: 90 min treadmill running workout followed by eccentric load drop
jump
○ five 18 minute sets and during the time the treadmill gradient would be flat,
uphill, and downhill; speed based on VO2 max
○ Eccentric load drop jumps consisted of 20 sets of 40 drop jumps with 30
seconds rest between each set
○ 3 groups- ice bath group, cryotherapy group, and control group
● Measurements: subjective indicators, blood samples to measure plasma creatine
kinase activity and plasma C-reactive protein, and vertical jump height
○ Assessed immediately before and after exercise protocol, and at minutes 1,
24, 48, 72, and 96 post exercise
● Conclusion: whole body cryotherapy was more effective than cold water immersion
and contrast water therapy. Whole body cryotherapy enhanced muscle recovery and
reduced muscle performance decrements
Purpose

● Find whether cryotherapy or ice baths improve recovery time and decreases
muscle pain
Hypotheses

Null Hypothesis: There will be no difference in recovery time and muscle pain from
receiving cryotherapy vs ice baths treatment.

Research Hypothesis: There will be a difference in recovery time and muscle pain
from receiving cryotherapy vs ice baths treatment.
Methods

● Subjects: 30 male participants between the ages of 18-22 yrs old weighing between
150 lbs to 170 lbs who participate in collegiate soccer with no major health risks
● Protocol: Experiment will take place over 3 days. No exercise performed within 48
hours of the start of the study and no alternative recovery methods used 48 hours
before or during the study
○ Limits outside interference

● Treatments: All athletes were randomly chosen by a random number generator to

receive post-exercise whole-body cryotherapy, an ice bath or be selected into a
control group
Methods

● Experiment: On Day 1, all athletes will run 3 miles outside and will
immediately receive recovery treatment based on their groups (whole-body
cryotherapy, ice bath, control). On Day 2, athletes will not perform any activity
for the experiment or receive any other forms of recovery . On Day 3, all
athletes will run 3 miles and will not receive post-exercise treatment.
○ 10 athletes receiving whole-body cryotherapy: -280 °F for 3 minutes

○ 10 athletes receiving ice baths: 55°F for 15 minutes

○ 10 athletes not receiving any forms of treatment

Methods continued

● Measurements: mileage times & muscle soreness before and after each run
(Day 1 & Day 3)
Statistics

● Statistical Design:
○ Pretest-Posttest randomized-groups

R O1 T 1 O2

R O3 T2 O4

R O5 O6

● Statistical Analysis- ANOVA

Results
Cryotherapy Group
Results
Ice Bath Group
Results
Control Group
Conclusions
We can conclude that full body cryotherapy showed more improvement in reduced muscle soreness
compared to ice baths.

The mileage times in the whole-body cryotherapy group did not have a drastic difference. However
there was a slight decrease in mileage time from day 1 to day 3. This suggests that cryotherapy
increased recovery time, which allowed the athletes to perform better.

The mileage times in the ice bath group had very little to no difference before and after receiving
treatment. This suggests that ice baths do not necessarily have a positive or negative effect on
recovery time.

The control group showed a slower mileage time on day 3 than day 1. It can be suggested that the
overall mileage time increased because the athletes were not provided any ways of recovery after the
two 3 mile runs.
Limitations

● All males
● Restricted to only collegiate level soccer players
● Do not have 100% control on what participants do outside of the experiment
(confounding variable)
● Short timeframe
○ Cannot necessary determine if cryotherapy or ice baths have long-term effects
● Hawthorne effect
● Internal Validity
○ 30 subjects, randomization
● External Validity
○ only for males in collegiate level soccer, weather
Questions?
References
Chaoyi Qu, Zhaozhao Wu, Minxiao Xu, Fei Qin, Yanan Dong, Zhongwei Wang, & Jiexiu Zhao. (2020). Cryotherapy
Models and Timing-Sequence Recovery of Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Middle- and Long-Distance
Runners. Journal of Athletic Training (Allen Press), 55(4), 329–335.

Kaczmarek, M., Mucha, D., & Jarawka, N. (2013). Cold Water Immersion as a Post-Exercise Recovery Strategy.
Medicina Sportiva, 17(1), 35–39.

Kępińska, M., Bednarek, J., Szyguła, Z., Teległów, A., & Dąbrowski, Z. (2013). A Comparison of the Efficiacy of
Three Different Cryotherapy Treatments Used in the Athletic Recovery of Sportspeople - Literature Review.
Medicina Sportiva, 17(3), 142–146.

Santos, W. O. C., Brito, C. J., Pinho Júnior, E. A., Valido, C. N., Mendes, E. L., Nunes, M. A. P., & Franchini, E.
(2012). Cryotherapy post-training reduces muscle damage markers in jiu-jitsu fighters. Journal of Human Sport &
Exercise, 7(3), 629–638.