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

PMID: 41742004
Journal: Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports
Published: 2026 Mar
Authors: 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.

## Population

- Healthy young men
- Sample size: 16
- Age: 25 +/- 6 years
- Sex: 16 men
- Fitness level: Healthy, baseline VO2max about 42 mL/kg/min
- Health status: No vascular/metabolic disorders or recent musculoskeletal injury

## Methodology

- Randomized independent-groups training study
- 5 weeks plus one final training session in week 6
- Supervised treadmill HIIT with laboratory recovery and muscle/blood testing
- Randomized and controlled study design.

## Protocol

- Treadmill HIIT plus cold-water immersion.
- Modality: Treadmill running.
- Work intervals: 2 minutes.
- Recovery: 2 minutes passive recovery.
- Sets or repetitions: 5 to 8 bouts.
- Intensity: 95% vVO2max.
- Session duration: Variable by bout count plus 11-minute post-session immersion.
- Frequency: 3 times/week.
- Program length: 5 weeks plus one final session.
- Progression: Overload from 6 to 8 bouts, then taper to 5 bouts.
- Same HIIT plus seated recovery.
- Modality: Treadmill running.
- Work intervals: 2 minutes.
- Recovery: 2 minutes passive recovery.
- Sets or repetitions: 5 to 8 bouts.
- Intensity: 95% vVO2max.
- Session duration: Variable by bout count plus 11-minute seated recovery.
- Frequency: 3 times/week.
- Program length: 5 weeks plus one final session.
- Progression: Same overload and taper.

## Outcomes

### Performance
Status: improved
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.

### Muscle markers
Status: mixed
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

### Inflammation
Status: no clear change
Inflammatory markers did not meaningfully change with training or recovery condition.

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

### Internal load
Status: no clear change
Training load was similar between cold-water immersion and control groups.

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

## Practical 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 And Adherence

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

## Original Sources

- [PubMed](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41742004/) (pubmed)
- [DOI](https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.70241) (doi)
- [PMC full text](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12936277/) (full text)

## Agent Guidance

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