One session of partial-body cryotherapy (−110 °C) improves muscle damage recovery.

To evaluate the effects of a single session of partial-body cryotherapy ( PBC) on muscle recovery, 26 young men performed a muscle-damaging protocol that consisted of five sets of 20 drop jumps with 2-min rest intervals between sets. After the exercise, the PBC group ( n = 13) was exposed to 3 min of PBC at −110 °C, and the control group ( n = 13) was exposed to 3 min at 21 °C. Anterior thigh muscle thickness, isometric peak torque, and muscle soreness of knee extensors were measured pre, post, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h following exercise. Peak torque did not return to baseline in control group ( P < 0.05), whereas the PBC group recovered peak torques 96 h post exercise ( P > 0.05). Peak torque was also higher after PBC at 72 and 96 h compared with control group ( P < 0.05). Muscle thickness increased after 24 h in the control group ( P < 0.05) and was significantly higher compared with the PBC group at 24 and 96 h ( P < 0.05). Muscle soreness returned to baseline for the PBC group at 72 h compared with 96 h for controls. These results indicate that PBC after strenuous exercise may enhance recovery from muscle damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)