Recovery Showdown: Cold Water Immersion vs Massage Gun
Insights from a randomised trial comparing two recovery methods after exhausting eccentric exercises.
The study titled "Comparison of the effects of cold water immersion and percussive massage on the recovery after exhausting eccentric exercise: A three-armed randomised controlled trial" investigated the efficacy of two popular recovery methods—cold water immersion (CWI) and percussive massage (PM)—in enhancing performance recovery following strenuous eccentric exercise. Conducted by Heinke et al., it involved 34 physically active participants divided into three groups: CWI, PM, and a passive rest (PR) control group.
Key Points
Purpose: To compare the effects of CWI and PM on recovery metrics after eccentric exercise, specifically focusing on muscle soreness, perceived stiffness, and performance in jump tests.
Methods:
Participants: 34 healthy individuals (9 females, 25 males).
Protocol: Participants underwent a strenuous eccentric exercise protocol consisting of downhill running and depth jumps.
Recovery Treatments: After the exercise, participants received either 12 minutes of CWI at approximately 11°C, PM at 40 Hz, or engaged in passive rest.
Measurements: Various assessments were taken at multiple time points (baseline, immediately after exercise, and at intervals up to 72 hours post-exercise), including subjective soreness ratings, stiffness, skin temperature, leg volume, creatine kinase levels, and performance in jump tests.
Results:
No significant differences in performance recovery were observed between the CWI and PM groups compared to PR.
Notably, CWI resulted in lower jump heights immediately post-treatment (POST2) compared to both PM and PR.
The perceived stiffness decreased significantly for the PM group compared to PR at POST2.
Overall, neither CWI nor PM exhibited substantial benefits over passive rest in terms of muscle recovery metrics.
Enjoying this article? Please share Strength Science and earn rewards. 🤝
