PMID 41742004

Research
All papers

Regular Cold-Water Immersion Following HIIT Does Not Affect Intramuscular Adaptation Markers, Inflammatory Profile or Endurance Performance

Malta ES, Neto JCR, Beck WR, Cornachione AS, de Poli RAB, Sigoli E, Zagatto AM

Question

Does regular cold-water immersion after HIIT alter endurance adaptations, muscle adaptation markers, or inflammatory profiles compared with seated recovery?

Summary

In healthy men completing five weeks of treadmill HIIT, adding cold-water immersion after each session did not meaningfully change endurance performance, intramuscular adaptation markers, or inflammatory markers compared with seated recovery. This is mainly a recovery-context study; it does not show that cold exposure improves HIIT results.

Methodology

  • Healthy young men
  • 16 participants.
  • Treadmill running.
  • Work intervals: 2 minutes.
  • Recovery: 2 minutes passive recovery.
  • Intensity: 95% vVO2max.
  • Variable by bout count plus 11-minute post-session immersion.
  • 3 times/week.
  • 5 weeks plus one final session.
  • Randomized independent-groups training study
  • Endurance performance, Muscle markers, Inflammation, and Recovery were tracked.

Outcomes

Performance

HIIT improved VO2max, vVO2max, and time to fatigue over time, with no added effect from cold-water immersion.

Training time effect reported; no condition or interaction effects for main performance outcomes.

Improved

Muscle markers

Training increased selected intramuscular adaptation markers, but cold-water immersion did not alter those adaptations.

Training effects p<=.031; condition p>=.098 and interaction p>=.088 in abstract summary

Mixed

Inflammation

Inflammatory markers did not meaningfully change with training or recovery condition.

Time p>=.395 and condition p>=.115

No clear change

Internal load

Training load was similar between cold-water immersion and control groups.

Control 2607.7 +/- 544.2 vs CWI 2558.2 +/- 528.8, p=.857

No clear change

Insights

  • Do not present cold-water immersion as necessary for HIIT adaptation.
  • The HIIT block gives an internal example of overload and taper using 2-minute intervals.
  • Cold exposure should be optional and safety-qualified.

Limitations

  • Small sample
  • Men only
  • No placebo/sham recovery
  • Body temperature not monitored
  • Short intervention
  • Recovery intervention focus rather than HIIT versus non-HIIT comparison

Safety

  • No dropouts or exclusions occurred.
  • No explicit adverse-event detail was reported.
  • Cold-water immersion was tested only in healthy young men.