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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 296/2/H421    most recent 01017.2008v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (2) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Buchheit, M. Articles by Laursen, P. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Buchheit, M. Articles by Laursen, P. B.

Effect of cold water immersion on postexercise parasympathetic reactivation

¹Research Laboratory, EA 3300 Exercise physiology and rehabilitation, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Picardie, Jules Verne, Amiens, France; and ²Centre of Excellence in Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care, Vario Health Institute, and ³School of Exercise, Biomedical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia

Submitted 19 September 2008 ; accepted in final form 9 December 2008

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of cold water immersion (CWI) on postexercise parasympathetic reactivation. Ten male cyclists (age, 29 ± 6 yr) performed two repeated supramaximal cycling exercises (SE₁ and SE₂) interspersed with a 20-min passive recovery period, during which they were randomly assigned to either 5 min of CWI in 14°C or a control (N) condition where they sat in an environmental chamber (35.0 ± 0.3°C and 40.0 ± 3.0% relative humidity). Rectal temperature (T_re) and beat-to-beat heart rate (HR) were recorded continuously. The time constant of HR recovery (HRR) and a time (30-s) varying vagal-related HR variability (HRV) index (rMSSD_30s) were assessed during the 6-min period immediately following exercise. Resting vagal-related HRV indexes were calculated during 3-min periods 2 min before and 3 min after SE₁ and SE₂. Results showed no effect of CWI on T_re (P = 0.29), SE performance (P = 0.76), and HRR (P = 0.61). In contrast, all vagal-related HRV indexes were decreased after SE₁ (P < 0.001) and tended to decrease even further after SE₂ under N condition but not with CWI. When compared with the N condition, CWI increased HRV indexes before (P < 0.05) and rMSSD_30s after (P < 0.05) SE₂. Our study shows that CWI can significantly restore the impaired vagal-related HRV indexes observed after supramaximal exercise. CWI may serve as a simple and effective means to accelerate parasympathetic reactivation during the immediate period following supramaximal exercise.

heart rate variability; postexercise heart rate recovery; supramaximal exercise; cooling strategies

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