The effect of varying degrees of compression from elastic vs plastic wrap on quadriceps intramuscular temperature during wetted ice application

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of wetted ice bag, applied with high compression elastic wrap or held in place with low compression plastic wrap, on reducing vastus lateralis intramuscular temperature and skin surface temperature. Ten healthy male participants had wetted ice packs applied to a standardized area on the anterior aspect of the quadriceps simultaneously to both legs for 30 minutes. The ice pack was secured with high compression (elastic wrap) to the left anterior thigh (60.6 ± 8.1 mm Hg) and low compression (plastic wrap) to the right anterior thigh (15.5 ± 4.0 mm Hg). Intramuscular temperature (1 and 3 cm) and skin temperature of the vastus lateralis were measured continuously during a 10‐minute baseline period, 30‐minute treatment period, and a 60‐minute recovery period. No difference was observed between treatments in terms of the magnitude of reduction in intramuscular temperature at both 1 cm and 3 cm and skin temperature regardless of compression pressure (P > .05). Temperature upon conclusion of elastic wrap treatment was: 17.8 ± 5.2°C at 1 cm, 23.1 ± 4.9°C at 3 cm; plastic wrap treatment: 17.9 ± 4.4°C at 1 cm, 24.5 ± 6.7°C at 3 cm. Plastic wraps may offer a practical alternative to elastic wraps for clinicians as they may be disposed of by the patient or athlete without having to stay at the treatment facility

Cold-water immersion and other forms of cryotherapy: physiological changes potentially affecting recovery from high-intensity exercise

High-intensity exercise is associated with mechanical and/or metabolic stresses that lead to reduced performance capacity of skeletal muscle, soreness and inflammation. Cold-water immersion and other forms of cryotherapy are commonly used following a high-intensity bout of exercise to speed recovery. Cryotherapy in its various forms has been used in this capacity for a number of years; however, the mechanisms underlying its recovery effects post-exercise remain elusive. The fundamental change induced by cold therapy is a reduction in tissue temperature, which subsequently exerts local effects on blood flow, cell swelling and metabolism and neural conductance velocity. Systemically, cold therapy causes core temperature reduction and cardiovascular and endocrine changes. A major hindrance to defining guidelines for best practice for the use of the various forms of cryotherapy is an incongruity between mechanistic studies investigating these physiological changes induced by cold and applied studies investigating the functional effects of cold for recovery from high-intensity exercise. When possible, studies investigating the functional recovery effects of cold therapy for recovery from exercise should concomitantly measure intramuscular temperature and relevant temperature-dependent physiological changes induced by this type of recovery strategy. This review will discuss the acute physiological changes induced by various cryotherapy modalities that may affect recovery in the hours to days (<5 days) that follow high-intensity exercise