Efficacy of cold water immersion prior to endurance cycling or running to increase performance: A critically appraised topic

Connor A. Burton, Christine A. Lauber, Matthew Hoch

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Clinical Question: Is there evidence to support precooling with cold water immersion prior to endurance cycling and running in hot, humid environments to enhance performance? Clinical Bottom Line: There is moderate evidence suggesting cold water immersion (CWI) as a precooling intervention improves endurance performance in cyclists and runners in a hot, humid environment. All five included studies reported significant improvements in endurance performance regarding time to exhaustion or distance traveled. In all included studies, core temperature was significantly decreased in the CWI group versus the control group during the fifth and twentieth minutes of exercise. No significant differences were reported for the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) between the CWI and control groups.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3-9
Number of pages7
JournalInternational Journal of Athletic Therapy and Training
Volume23
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2018

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Human Kinetics, Inc.

Keywords

  • Cold water immersion
  • Endurance cycling
  • Endurance running
  • Performance
  • Precooling

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
  • Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation
  • Rehabilitation

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