Recovery Following a Marathon: A comparison of cold water immersion, whole body cryotherapy and a placebo

Cryotherapy is an increasingly popular recovery strategy used in an attempt to attenuate the negative impact of strenuous physical activity on subsequent exercise. A study aimed to assess the effects of whole body cryotherapy (WBC) and cold-water immersion (CWI) on markers of recovery following a marathon.

Thirty-one endurance trained males completed a marathon. Participants were randomly assigned to a CWI, WBC or placebo group.

Whole body cryotherapy (WBC) group was exposed to two cold treatments in a cryotherapy chamber. Participants (up to 2 at a time) spent 3 min in the chamber set to − 85 °C ± 5 °C followed by a 15-min warming period in an ambient room before entering the chamber for a further 4-min bout at − 85 °C ± 5 °C

Cold water immersion (CWI): Immediately after cessation of exercise participants sat in a mobile ice bath ensuring their lower limbs and iliac crest were fully immersed. The ice bath filled with water cooled to 8 degrees C for 10 min

The placebo group was informed that they were taking a tart cherry juice supplement for 5 days before the run, the day of the run and for 2 days after (8 days in total). Participants consumed 2 × 30 ml per day of a fruit flavoured drink which did not contain any antioxidants or phytonutrients. Participants were asked to rest quietly for 10 min following completion of the run.

Perceptions of muscle soreness, training stress and markers of muscle function were recorded before the marathon and at 24 and 48 h post exercise. Blood samples were taken at baseline, post intervention and 24 and 48 h post intervention to assess inflammation and muscle damage.

The marathon resulted in decreases in muscle function, increases in perceptions of soreness and alterations in a number of blood borne markers of inflammation.

WBC had a “harmful effect” on muscle function compared to CWI post marathon. Harmful here means the muscle performance becomes worse. WBC positively influenced perceptions of training stress compared to CWI. With the exception of C-reactive protein (CRP) at 24 and 48 h, neither cryotherapy intervention positively influenced blood borne markers of inflammation or structural damage compared to placebo.

The findings show WBC has a negative impact on muscle function, perceptions of soreness and a number of blood parameters compared to CWI, contradicting the suggestion that WBC may be a superior recovery strategy. Further, cryotherapy is no more effective than a placebo intervention at improving functional recovery or perceptions of training stress following a marathon. These findings lend further evidence to suggest that treatment belief and the placebo effect may be largely responsible for the beneficial effects of cryotherapy on recovery following a marathon.