Human tested, animal approved

Compression and cold therapy used separately have shown to reduce negative effects of tissue damage. The combining compression and cold therapy (cryocompression) as a single recovery modality has yet to be fully examined. To examine the effects of cryocompression on recovery following a bout of heavy resistance exercise, recreationally resistance trained men (n =16) were recruited, matched, and randomly assigned to either a cryocompression group (CRC) or control group (CON). Testing was performed before and then immediately after exercise, 60 minutes, 24 hours, and 48 hours after a heavy resistance exercise workout (barbell back squats for 4 sets of 6 reps at 80% 1RM, 90 sec rest between sets, stiff legged deadlifts for 4 sets of 8 reps at 1.0 X body mass with 60 sec rest between sets, 4 sets of 10 eccentric Nordic hamstring curls, 45 sec rest between sets). The CRC group used the CRC system for 20-mins of cryocompression treatment immediately after exercise, 24 hours, and 48 hours after exercise. CON sat quietly for 20-mins at the same time points. Muscle damage [creatine kinase], soreness (visual analog scale, 0-100), pain (McGill Pain Q, 0-5), fatigue, sleep quality, and jump power were significantly (p < 0.05) improved for CRC compared to CON at 24 and 48 hours after exercise. Pain was also significantly lower for CRC compared to CON at 60-mins post exercise. These findings show that cryocompression can enhance recovery and performance following a heavy resistance exercise workout.

Key points

The combination of circulatory cooling and compression technology enhances recovery from heavy resistance exercise.
Sleep quality is enhanced following the use of cyo-compression when compared to typical no intervention control conditions following heavy resistance exercise.
Muscle damage markers, pain and soreness markers are improved with cryocompression when compared to no interventional control conditions following heavy resistance exercise.

Key words: Muscle damage, physical performance, strength training, fatigue, resilience

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Introduction

Recovery from exercise is an important factor in the performance of successful resistance exercise training programs. Modalities have become an important part of the interventions that may assist in the recovery process from both the physiological and perceptual perspectives. The negative transient effects after exercise results in the reluctance or inability to continue or optimally perform a regular exercise program (Lee et al., 2012). Compression and contrast treatments of hot and cold have shown minimal effects on recovery from resistance exercise however contrast treatments did attenuate muscle soreness (French et al., 2008). Cold temperatures have been shown to constrict blood vessels and help flush toxins like H+ ions more rapidly from the muscles (Bailey et al., 2007; Eston and Peters, 1999), reduce inflammation (Pournot et al., 2011), reduce thermal strain (Vaile et al., 2008a), and reduce muscle soreness (Vaile et al., 2008b). However, a recent meta-analysis has shown cooling therapies effects on recovery from exercise to be minimal with only perceptual ratings showing improvements (Hohenauer et al., 2015). Thus, it appears that new cryo-technologies are needed to address the recovery processes following exercise.

The study of compression garments has increased dramatically since the early 1990s with our understanding of its effects. Compression has been shown to improve blood flow of oxygen rich blood back to the body (MacRae et al., 2011), reduced muscle vibration thereby providing stability to the muscle help prevent micro-trauma to the muscles (MacRae et al., 2011), alleviate swelling and inflammation (Kraemer et al., 1998), increase muscle support (Kraemer et al., 2010a), and enhance proprioception (Shim et al., 2001). It has also been shown that compression can enhance recovery of muscle strength after a heavy resistance exercise workout (Goto and Morishima, 2014; Kraemer et al., 2010b). Recent data indicate that compression can significantly improve recovery from exercise induced damage with higher compressions having a greater effect (Hill et al., 2017).

However, very little research has been done to determine the benefits of combining cold and compression (i.e.,cryocompression therapy) as a post exercise therapeutic intervention as most have used this for clinical/medical applications (Hoiness et al., 1998). Thus, there was a need for further work on cryocompression technologies that may assist in the recovery from exercise and allow for better day to day training performances and therefore improve the effectiveness of the training program. Thus the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cryocompression on performance and recovery parameters following heavy resistance exercise.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5592284/

2.Research into the specific effects of compression by means of a sleeve.

Influence of Compression Therapy on Symptoms Following Soft Tissue Injury from Maximal Eccentric Exercise

AUTHORS

AFFILIATIONS

Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy

Published Online:June 1, 2001Volume31Issue6Pages282-290

https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2001.31.6.282

Abstract

Study Design

A between groups design was used to compare recovery following eccentric muscle damage under 2 experimental conditions.

Objective

To determine if a compression sleeve donned immediately after maximal eccentric exercise would enhance recovery of physical function and decrease symptoms of soreness.

Background

Prior investigations using ice, intermittent compression, or exercise have not shown efficacy in relieving symptoms of delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). To date, no study has shown the effect of continuous compression on DOMS, yet this would offer a low cost intervention for patients suffering with the symptoms of DOMS.

Methods and Measures

Twenty nonimpaired non-strength-trained women participated in the study. Subjects were matched for age, anthropometric data, and one repetition maximum concentric arm curl strength and then randomly placed into a control group (n = 10) or an experimental compression sleeve group (n = 10). Subjects were instructed to avoid pain-relieving modalities (eg, analgesic medications, ice) throughout the study. The experimental group wore a compressive sleeve garment for 5 days following eccentric exercise. Subjects performed 2 sets of 50 passive arm curls with the dominant arm on an isokinetic dynamometer with a maximal eccentric muscle action superimposed every fourth passive repetition. One repetition maximum elbow flexion, upper arm circumference, relaxed elbow angle, blood serum cortisol, creatine kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, and perception of soreness questionnaires were collected prior to the exercise bout and daily thereafter for 5 days.

Results

Creatine kinase was significantly elevated from the baseline value in both groups, although the experimental compression test group showed decreased magnitude of creatine kinase elevation following the eccentric exercise. Compression sleeve use prevented loss of elbow motion, decreased perceived soreness, reduced swelling, and promoted recovery of force production.

Conclusions

Results from this study underline the importance of compression in soft tissue injury management. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2001;31:282–290.

https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2001.31.6.282

3.Research focused on the cooling aspect and its consequences.

The cold truth: the role of cryotherapy in the treatment of injury and recovery from exercise

Invited Review
Published: 20 April 2021

Volume 121, pages 2125–2142, (2021)
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Abstract

Cryotherapy is utilized as a physical intervention in the treatment of injury and exercise recovery. Traditionally, ice is used in the treatment of musculoskeletal injury while cold water immersion or whole-body cryotherapy is used for recovery from exercise. In humans, the primary benefit of traditional cryotherapy is reduced pain following injury or soreness following exercise. Cryotherapy-induced reductions in metabolism, inflammation, and tissue damage have been demonstrated in animal models of muscle injury; however, comparable evidence in humans is lacking. This absence is likely due to the inadequate duration of application of traditional cryotherapy modalities. Traditional cryotherapy application must be repeated to overcome this limitation. Recently, the novel application of cooling with 15 °C phase change material (PCM), has been administered for 3–6 h with success following exercise. Although evidence suggests that chronic use of cryotherapy during resistance training blunts the anabolic training effect, recovery using PCM does not compromise acute adaptation. Therefore, following exercise, cryotherapy is indicated when rapid recovery is required between exercise bouts, as opposed to after routine training. Ultimately, the effectiveness of cryotherapy as a recovery modality is dependent upon its ability to maintain a reduction in muscle temperature and on the timing of treatment with respect to when the injury occurred, or the exercise ceased. Therefore, to limit the proliferation of secondary tissue damage that occurs in the hours after an injury or a strenuous exercise bout, it is imperative that cryotherapy be applied in abundance within the first few hours of structural damage.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00421-021-04683-8vertalen