# (1)H NMR urinary metabolomic analysis in recreational athletes: Impact of physical exercise, high intensity interval training and whole body cryostimulation

PMID: 40487193
Journal: Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal
Published: 2025 May 9
Authors: Douzi W, Bon D, Dupuy O, Bieuzen F, Dugué B

## Question

How do submaximal cycling, a 4-week HIIT program, and whole-body cryostimulation recovery affect urinary metabolomic profiles in recreational athletes?

## Summary

This ancillary metabolomics study analyzed urine from 23 healthy recreational male athletes before and after a 2-hour submaximal cycling challenge, both before and after a 4-week HIIT program. Participants were randomized to whole-body cryostimulation after each HIIT session or passive recovery. HIIT and the cycling challenge altered urinary metabolites related to glycolysis, lipid metabolism, nucleotide turnover, and energy homeostasis; cryostimulation changed some metabolite patterns but the evidence is mechanistic and small-sample.

## Population

- Healthy male recreational athletes randomized to WBC or passive recovery.
- Sample size: 23
- Age: 37 +/- 9 years in CTL; 37 +/- 8 years in WBC
- Sex: Male
- Fitness level: Recreational athletes; power aerobic peak about 319 W
- Health status: Healthy; cardiovascular risk factors verified

## Methodology

- Ancillary randomized parallel-group metabolomics study
- 4 weeks of HIIT with pre/post submaximal cycling challenges
- Exercise protocol with urine samples analyzed by proton NMR spectroscopy
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- HIIT plus WBC recovery.
- Modality: Cycling plus whole-body cryostimulation.
- Work intervals: Not reported in this paper; eight intervals per session.
- Recovery: WBC immediately after each training session.
- Sets or repetitions: Eight intervals.
- Intensity: Workload corresponding to baseline power peak.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 4 weeks.
- Progression: Not reported in this paper.
- HIIT plus passive recovery.
- Modality: Cycling.
- Work intervals: Not reported in this paper; eight intervals per session.
- Recovery: Passive recovery immediately after each training session.
- Sets or repetitions: Eight intervals.
- Intensity: Workload corresponding to baseline power peak.
- Frequency: 3 sessions/week.
- Program length: 4 weeks.

## Outcomes

### SMC metabolites
Status: mixed
Submaximal cycling changed lactate, adenine, urea, citrate, formate, alanine, and acetate patterns.

Targeted analyses reported multiple p<0.05 differences

### HIIT adaptation
Status: improved
Training amplified post-SMC metabolic alterations in both groups.

PCA and targeted metabolite analyses

### WBC
Status: mixed
WBC showed distinct changes in selected metabolites but did not affect lactate and adenine.

Acetone and 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid changed only in WBC; citrate changed only in CTL

## Practical Insights

- Metabolomic changes after HIIT and WBC are mechanistic signals, not direct proof of better recovery or performance.
- Recovery modalities should be evaluated with user-relevant outcomes before app recommendation.
- Incomplete interval details limit direct workout replication.

## Limitations

- Small all-male sample.
- Ancillary sub-study of an earlier protocol.
- Two CTL participants lacked end-procedure urine samples.
- Pathway analysis was semi-quantitative and needs validation.
- No adverse-event reporting or direct performance outcome emphasis.

## Safety And Adherence

- Adverse events were not reported in this paper.
- Participants were healthy male recreational athletes and cardiovascular risk factors associated with exercise and WBC were verified.
- Two control participants did not provide urine samples at the end of the procedure, creating incomplete outcome data but not described as safety-related.

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40487193/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csbj.2025.05.007) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12145687/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

Preserve the paper-level scope of this note. Do not generalize beyond the population, protocol, measured outcomes, and limitations above.