Effect of cold water immersion during half time on body recovery in soccer player

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to study the effect of cold water immersion during halftime on physical rehabilitation in soccer players. The participants were 16 male soccer players (18–25 years old). All participants were categorized into two groups, i.e., the control group (CG; n = 8) and the cold water immersion group (CWI; n = 8). Both groups competed in a soccer match for 90 min; the match was divided into 45 min in the first half and 45 min in the second half, with a 15-min halftime. Interleukin-6, creatine kinase, and lactic acid were evaluated before the match, after the first half, after the half-time, immediately after the match and 24 h after the match. One way repeated ANOVA was used to identify differences between the groups. The obtained results showed that blood biochemical variables [i.e., lactic acid levels of CWI during half time (8.08 ± 2.16) compared to those after half time (5.51 ± 0.52)] had a statistically significant decrease. In addition, muscle pain perception of CG (3.00 ± 0.76) and CWI (0.88 ± 0.83) was different with statistical significance at the 0.05 level. The perception of muscle pain of CG at the first half (5.00 ± 1.20) and after the first half rest (0.88 ± 0.83) was significantly decreased. However, there were no changes in IL-6, creatine kinase, and lactic acid between the groups. Therefore, it was concluded that cold water immersion during halftime in soccer slowed down muscle fatigue and decreased lactic acid level in soccer players. This protocol can be used as an alternative recovery method for soccer players.