Sport RecoveryNCT06698237
The Effects of Cold-water Immersion on Exercise Performance Recovery and Postprandial Plasma Aminoacidemia
A study testing immediate cold-water immersion, delayed cold-water immersion and immediate thermoneutral water immersion in people with Sport Recovery and Aminoacidemia, run by McGill University at 1 site in Canada.
Trial summary
In order to optimize sports performance, high-level athletes are required to manage conflicting training objectives, which often result in periods of high-volume training. These athletes need to perform heavy resistance training sessions to promote physiological adaptations, which consequently induce fatigue. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 40 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Sport Recovery, Aminoacidemia, Cold-water Immersion
- What is being tested?
- immediate cold-water immersion, delayed cold-water immersion and immediate thermoneutral water immersion
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 12 participants
- Where
- 1 siteCanada
- Study dates
- 20 Dec 2024to 3 Nov 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 40 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- To be eligible to participate in this study, a participant must meet all the following criteria:
- Healthy adult between 18 - 40 years (inclusive).
- Individual with a BMI between >18.5 and <30 kg/m2 (inclusive).
- Individual who is in good general health (no uncontrolled diseases or conditions).
- individual with a history of regular resistance training ≥2 per week for the past six-months.
- Individual who is currently competing at the varsity, provincial, national or international level in their respective sport.
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- Individual who is free from any musculoskeletal injuries and/or conditions that might affect their ability to perform resistance exercises or undergo cold-water immersion.
- Individual who has maintained stable use of medication and/or supplements, stable dietary and lifestyle habits, and stable body weight (weight loss or gain <3 kg), for the last three-months prior to screening.
- Individual who agrees to maintain usual training habits between sessions.
Who cannot join
- Individual who is lactating, pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study.
- Females with irregular menstrual cycles (defined as outside 24-38 days cycle range, based on self-reports).
- Individual who adheres to a diet (e.g., vegan diet) that restricts consumption of dairy products.
- Has a known sensitivity, intolerability, or allergy to any of the study products or their excipients (i.e., lactose intolerant).
- Weight loss or gain > 3 kg in the 3 months prior to study visit 1.
- Currently or planning to be on a weight loss regimen during the study.
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- Recent (within 2 weeks of screening visit) history of an episode of acute GI illness such as nausea/vomiting or diarrhea.
- Have a history of irritable bowel disease (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease), functional constipation or diarrhea (defined by the Rome IV diagnostic criteria), celiac disease, malabsorption, gastroparesis, diverticulosis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, pancreatitis, or eating disorder; or have a history of intestinal surgery (excluding appendectomy or herniorrhaphy) or bariatric surgery.
- Have an abnormality or obstruction of the gastrointestinal tract precluding swallowing (e.g., dysphagia) and/or digestion (e.g., history of bowel obstruction).
- Participated in upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and/or colonoscopy or preparation within 3 months prior to screening visit.
- Diagnosed with hypercholesterolemia or hypertriglyceridemia (i.e., elevated fasting low- density lipoprotein (LDL) (≥ 135 mg·dL-1; ≥ 3.5 mmol·L-1) or elevated triglycerides (≥ 150 mg·dL-1; ≥1.7 mmol·L-1).
- Has a history of heart disease/cardiovascular disease, uncontrolled hypertension (≥ 140 systolic or ≥ 90 diastolic mmHg), kidney disease (dialysis or renal failure), hepatic impairment or disease.
- Is Type I or Type II diabetic or pre-diabetic [i.e., elevated fasting blood glucose levels (≥ 100 mg·dL-1; ≥ 5.6 mmol·L-1) and/or elevated hemoglobin A1c (≥ 6.0%)].
- Has a history of liver or gallbladder disease or stomach ulcers.
- Has a positive medical history of unstable thyroid disease, previously diagnosed major affective disorder, psychiatric disorder that required hospitalization in the prior year, immune disorders and/or immunocompromised (e.g., HIV/AIDS).
- Diagnosed with cancer (except localized skin cancer without metastases or in situ cervical cancer) within 5 years prior to the screening visit, or any clinically significant disease or disorder which, in the opinion of the investigator, may either put the potential participant at risk because of participation in the study, or influences the results or the potential participant's ability to participate in the study.
- Major surgery in 3 months prior to screening or planned major surgery during the study.
- History of alcohol or substance abuse (including cannabinoids) in the 12 months prior to screening (including having been hospitalized for such in an in-patient or out-patient intervention program).
- Current or previous tobacco use within the last 6 months.
- Self-report of blood donation totaling between 101 mL to 449 mL of blood within 30 days prior to screening or a blood donation of more than 450 mL within 56 days prior to baseline.
- Self-report of donating plasma (e.g., plasmapheresis) within 14 days prior to screening.
- Any other active or unstable medical conditions or use of medications/supplements/therapies that, in the opinion of the investigator, may adversely affect the participant's ability to complete the study or its measures or pose a significant risk to the participant.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effects of Delayed Versus Immediate Cold-water Immersion on Exercise Performance Recovery and Postprandial Plasma Aminoacidemia Following Exercise and Protein Consumption in Athletes
In order to optimize sports performance, high-level athletes are required to manage conflicting training objectives, which often result in periods of high-volume training. These athletes need to perform heavy resistance training sessions to promote physiological adaptations, which consequently induce fatigue. Yet, they need to minimize fatigue to perform subsequent high-quality training sessions often within the same day. To support these training endeavours, a high-quality dietary regimen and adequate protein consumption is deemed to be an essential component of an athlete's recovery plan, as it has been shown to support muscle recovery and reduce muscle inflammation following exercise. Indeed, current sports nutrition recommendations advocate for the consumption of dietary protein and carbohydrate after exercise to promote tissue repair and replenish muscle energy stores (glycogen). Additionally, previous research has shown how water immersion therapies post-exercise may alleviate fatigue and restore performance. However, little is known about how different temperatures, as well as timing of cold-water immersion can support performance recovery in a population of athletes adhering to contemporary post-exercise nutrition recommendations. The objective of this project is to investigate the effects of timing of cold-water immersion relative to exercise on performance recovery within the same day, as well as to investigate whether cold water immersion augments blood amino acid concentrations after exercise and protein intake.
Read the detailed description
In the 48-hours prior to testing visits, participants will need to fill out a dietary log 2 days before the first visit and replicate their diet before the second and third visit. Participants will also be asked to adhere to the same exercise routine in order to replicate exercise behaviours for all testing days. Testing sessions will be separated by a minimum of seven days but not more than 30 days. The female participants with a regular menstrual cycle will only be tested during the follicular phase (from day one of menstruation and lasts fourteen days) to ensure a standardized hormone level. Each testing day will begin in the morning. Participants will arrive in the laboratory in an overnight fasted state and begin by ingesting a telematic pill and then consume a standardized carbohydrate rich breakfast drink. Afterwards, the athlete will complete the performance tests, which will include five counter-movement jumps, five drop jump, five squat jumps, one 5-second maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the knee-extensors, eight 1-second maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) of the knee extensors, five maximal isokinetic contractions at three different angular velocities (60, 180, and 240°/s). Then, they will perform the resistance training protocol, consisting of ten sets on the leg press at 65% 1RM. The 1st and 10th sets will be taken to failure. Sets 2 to 9 will be performed at 10 repetitions each. Between set 1 and set 2, they will perform 30 depth drops. The rest time between sets will be two minutes. Immediately post-training, participants will be asked to repeat the same performance tests. They will then be provided with a protein and carbohydrate drink (25 g of whey protein and 45 g of carbohydrate) that will be consumed within 5 minutes. During the experimental visit, 11 blood samples will be collected relative to the water immersion (T = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min), and subsequently analysed for postprandial plasma amino acid concentration. The consumption of the beverage will be followed by an 10-minute mid-clavicular immersion in either CWI (10°C) that is immediate (CWI_0), delayed for 3-hours (CWI_3), or an immediate thermoneutral bath (35°C) (THERM). Following the final blood draw (T = 300 min), the performance tests will be performed one last time to evaluate recovery from the strength training. The participant will be asked to fill out the Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS) that measures recovery and stress across emotional, mental, physical, and overall dimensions using eight items before each testing session. They will also be asked to fill out a visual analogue scale (VAS) regarding subjective appetite sensations at the same time as every blood sample. Furthermore, skin and core body temperatures will be monitored throughout the experiment. At the end of each of the experimental visits, the participants will receive an ad libitum pasta meal to measure energy intake. The participants will be instructed to eat until they are comfortably full within 30 minutes. The amount of food consumed will be recorded to calculate the energy intake of each participant. Participants will also need to complete a questionnaire the 24 and 48 hours after each testing session to assess their level of delayed onset muscle soreness. Following the final testing session, participants will be invited to complete a belief questionnaire, aimed at gauging their perceived effectiveness of the recovery conditions they were subjected to.
- Conditions
- Sport Recovery, Aminoacidemia, Cold-water Immersion
- Being tested
- immediate cold-water immersion, delayed cold-water immersion, immediate thermoneutral water immersion
- Keywords
- Cold-water immersion, Protein, Performance, Athlete, Exercise physiology, Nutrition, Exercise, Resistance training, Sport recovery, Aminoacidemia, cold-therapy, strength training
- Medical subject headings
- Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
immediate cold-water immersionOther
immediate 10 minute water immersion in 10 degree Celsius
delayed cold-water immersionOther
3 hour delayed 10 minute water immersion in 10 degree Celsius
immediate thermoneutral water immersionOther
immediate 10 minute water immersion in 35 degree Celsius
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| CWI_0 | Experimental | immediate cold-water immersion Receives: Other: immediate cold-water immersion |
| CWI_3 | Experimental | 3 hour delayed cold water immersion Receives: Other: delayed cold-water immersion |
| THERM | Active comparator | immediate thermoneutral water immersion Receives: Other: immediate thermoneutral water immersion |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Prolonged maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors peak force
The participant will be asked to perform one five-second maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors on an isometric dynamometer at a 60° angle of the knee joint. The force-time profile will be used to derive the peak force (Newton)
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Secondary outcomes (45)
postprandial plasma total amino acid concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, arginine, glutamine, glycine, alanine, serine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, asparagine, tyrosine, cysteine, proline (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
leucine at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma glucose concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Plasma glucose at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) (mmol/L·300 minutes).
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma insulin concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Plasma insulin at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minute) (pmol/L·300 minute).
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minute in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma total amino acid time to concentration maximum
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, arginine, glutamine, glycine, alanine, serine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, asparagine, tyrosine, cysteine, proline (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid time to concentration maximum
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid time to concentration maximum
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine time to concentration maximum
leucine at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) (umol/L)
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma total amino acid concentration maximum
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, arginine, glutamine, glycine, alanine, serine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, asparagine, tyrosine, cysteine, proline (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid concentration maximum
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid concentration maximum
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine concentration maximum
leucine at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) (umol/L)
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma total amino acid time tracking response
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, arginine, glutamine, glycine, alanine, serine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, asparagine, tyrosine, cysteine, proline (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid time tracking response
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: 120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid time tracking response
Free leucine, isoleucine, valine, histidine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan (combined) at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) umol/L
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine time tracking response
leucine at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) (umol/L)
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma glucose time tracking response
Plasma glucose at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) (mmol/L·300 minutes).
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma insulin time tracking response
Plasma insulin at 11 timepoints (t = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes) (pmol/L·300 minutes).
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial appetite sensation scores time tracking response
Participants will be asked to complete visual analog scales (VAS) for measurements of appetite sensations at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes). Five sensations related to appetite are queried by VAS (i.e., "How hungry are you?", "How full are you?", "How satiated are you?", "How strong is your desire to eat?" on a scale from "Not at all" to "Extremely"; and "How much do you think you could (or would want to) eat right now" on a scale from "nothing at all" to "a very large amount"). Outcomes are measured in millimeters (mm) along a 100-mm horizontal line
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial appetite sensation incremental-area-under-the-curve
Participants will be asked to complete visual analog scales (VAS) for measurements of appetite sensations at 11 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes). Five sensations related to appetite are queried by VAS (i.e., "How hungry are you?", "How full are you?", "How satiated are you?", "How strong is your desire to eat?" on a scale from "Not at all" to "Extremely"; and "How much do you think you could (or would want to) eat right now" on a scale from "nothing at all" to "a very large amount"). Responses are measured in mm·300 minutes.
Measured: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Ad libitum food energy intake
The ad libitum test meal will contain 562 kJ per 100 g with 20% energy from protein, 65% energy from carbohydrate, and 15% energy from fat. The participants will be provided with approximately 1 kg of the test meal on a plate with utensils. Participants will be instructed to "eat as much or as little as desired until feeling "comfortably full" within 30 minutes. The meal will be weighed before consumption and remaining contents will be weighed after achieving comfortable fullness to calculate the energy intake. The outcome will be measure in kilojoules (kJ).
Measured: assessed 300 minutes after protein intake
Countermovement jump
The participant will be asked to perform five countermovement jumps on a force plate. The jump height derived from impulse (centimeter), maximum force developed (Newton), maximum rate of force development (Newton/second) will be collected for each of the five jumps. The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Intermitted Maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors peak force
The participant will be asked to perform eight one-second maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors on an isometric dynamometer at a 60° angle of the knee joint. The force-time profile will be used to derive the peak force (Newton)
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Maximal Leg Press Strength
The participant will be asked to perform repetitions till failure using a weight equivalent to 65% of their maximum strength. The total number of repetitions completed, the average velocity, peak velocity and work of the repetitions will be recorded and the change from baseline in these values will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
recovery-stress state
The participant will be asked to fill out the Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS) that measures recovery and stress across emotional, mental, physical, and overall dimensions using eight items.
Measured: 2 hours prior to protein intake, immediately prior to protein intake, 5 hours post protein intake, 24 hours and 48 hours post training
Delayed onset muscle soreness
Participants will be asked to complete visual analog scales (VAS) for a measurement of muscle soreness on a scale from "normal" to "extremely sore"). Outcome is measured in millimeters (mm) along a 100-mm horizontal line. Data will be reported 120 minutes prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake, and at 24 hours and 48 hours post testing.
Measured: reported 120 minutes prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake, and at 24 hours and 48 hours post testing.
Serum concentrations of systemic cytokines
time-course concentration of serum concentrations of systemic cytokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-1B, TNF-α, IL-10 (pg/ml) at 8 timepoints (time = -120, 0, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes).
Measured: -120, 0, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Time-course of heart rate
The participants heart rate will be monitored using a heart rate monitor. The average heart rate during resistance training and during water immersion will be reported.
Measured: Data will be reported during the resistance -90 to -30 minutes and during water immersion 0 minutes to 10 minutes or 180 minutes to 190 minutes
Time-course of skin temperature
The participants skin temperature will be monitored using sensors that can record temperature data over time) (sampling frequency = 30 seconds). The sensors will be placed on the sternum, forearm, thigh and calf. The outcome is measured in degrees Celsius. Data will be reported every 15 minutes following water immersion and every hour before and after following water immersion.
Measured: 0 to 5 hours post water immersion.
Core temperature
The participants core temperature will be monitored using telemetric thermometer pill that will be ingested upon arrival at the laboratory (sampling frequency = 30 seconds). The outcome is measured in degrees Celsius. Data will be reported every 5 minutes during water immersion, every 15 minutes for 1 hour following water immersion. Data will otherwise be reported every hour.
Measured: 0 to 5 hours post water immersion
Incidence of adverse events
Number of participants with adverse events
Measured: 0-6 hours post water immersion
Prolonged maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors total work
The participant will be asked to perform one five-second maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors on an isometric dynamometer at a 60° angle of the knee joint. The force-time profile will be used to derive the area under the curve (N·5 s). The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake
Prolonged maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors rate of force developpment
The participant will be asked to perform one five-second maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors on an isometric dynamometer at a 60° angle of the knee joint. The force-time profile will be used to derive the rate of force development (N/s). The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake
Intermitted Maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensorsIntermitted Maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors rate of force development
The participant will be asked to perform eight one-second maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors on an isometric dynamometer at a 60° angle of the knee joint. The force-time profile will be used to derive the rate of force development (N/s) for each of the eight contractions. The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 60°/second peak torque
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 60°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the peak torque (Newton-metre) change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 180°/second peak torque
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 180°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the peak torque (Newton-metre) change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 240°/second peak torque
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 240°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the peak torque (Newton-metre) change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 60°/second total work
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 60°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the total work (Joules). The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 180°/second total work
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 180°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the total work (Joules). The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 240°/second total work
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 240°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the total work (Joules). The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 60°/second average power
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 60°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the average power (Watts) The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 180°/second average power
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 180°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the average power (Watts) The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 240°/second average power
The participant will be asked to perform five isokinetic contractions of the knee extensors at 240°/second. The force-time profile will be used to derive the average power (Watts) The change from baseline will be reported.
Measured: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted20 Nov 2024
- Study start20 Dec 2024
- Primary completion3 Nov 2025
- Study completion3 Nov 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Sport RecoveryStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Model description
- randomized crossover design, 12 participants (6 male and 6 female)
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- McGill University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Tyler Churchward-Venne, McGill University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06698237
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 24-01-046
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Nov 2024
- Last updated
- 14 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effects of Delayed Versus Immediate Cold-water Immersion on Exercise Performance Recovery and Postprandial Plasma Aminoacidemia Following Exercise and Protein Consumption in Athletes
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06698237
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 24-01-046
- Conditions
- Sport Recovery, Aminoacidemia, Cold-water Immersion
- Keywords
- Cold-water immersion, Protein, Performance, Athlete, Exercise physiology, Nutrition, Exercise, Resistance training
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 12 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- McGill UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 20 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 3 Nov 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 3 Nov 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 20 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In order to optimize sports performance, high-level athletes are required to manage conflicting training objectives, which often result in periods of high-volume training. These athletes need to perform heavy resistance training sessions to promote physiological adaptations, which consequently induce fatigue. Yet, they need to minimize fatigue to perform subsequent high-quality training sessions often within the same day. To support these training endeavours, a high-quality dietary regimen and adequate protein consumption is deemed to be an essential component of an athlete's recovery plan, as it has been shown to support muscle recovery and reduce muscle inflammation following exercise. Indeed, current sports nutrition recommendations advocate for the consumption of dietary protein and carbohydrate after exercise to promote tissue repair and replenish muscle energy stores (glycogen). Additionally, previous research has shown how water immersion therapies post-exercise may alleviate fatigue and restore performance. However, little is known about how different temperatures, as well as timing of cold-water immersion can support performance recovery in a population of athletes adhering to contemporary post-exercise nutrition recommendations. The objective of this project is to investigate the effects of timing of cold-water immersion relative to exercise on performance recovery within the same day, as well as to investigate whether cold water immersion augments blood amino acid concentrations after exercise and protein intake.
Detailed description
In the 48-hours prior to testing visits, participants will need to fill out a dietary log 2 days before the first visit and replicate their diet before the second and third visit. Participants will also be asked to adhere to the same exercise routine in order to replicate exercise behaviours for all testing days. Testing sessions will be separated by a minimum of seven days but not more than 30 days. The female participants with a regular menstrual cycle will only be tested during the follicular phase (from day one of menstruation and lasts fourteen days) to ensure a standardized hormone level. Each testing day will begin in the morning. Participants will arrive in the laboratory in an overnight fasted state and begin by ingesting a telematic pill and then consume a standardized carbohydrate rich breakfast drink. Afterwards, the athlete will complete the performance tests, which will include five counter-movement jumps, five drop jump, five squat jumps, one 5-second maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the knee-extensors, eight 1-second maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) of the knee extensors, five maximal isokinetic contractions at three different angular velocities (60, 180, and 240°/s). Then, they will perform the resistance training protocol, consisting of ten sets on the leg press at 65% 1RM. The 1st and 10th sets will be taken to failure. Sets 2 to 9 will be performed at 10 repetitions each. Between set 1 and set 2, they will perform 30 depth drops. The rest time between sets will be two minutes. Immediately post-training, participants will be asked to repeat the same performance tests. They will then be provided with a protein and carbohydrate drink (25 g of whey protein and 45 g of carbohydrate) that will be consumed within 5 minutes. During the experimental visit, 11 blood samples will be collected relative to the water immersion (T = -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 300 min), and subsequently analysed for postprandial plasma amino acid concentration. The consumption of the beverage will be followed by an 10-minute mid-clavicular immersion in either CWI (10°C) that is immediate (CWI_0), delayed for 3-hours (CWI_3), or an immediate thermoneutral bath (35°C) (THERM). Following the final blood draw (T = 300 min), the performance tests will be performed one last time to evaluate recovery from the strength training. The participant will be asked to fill out the Short Recovery and Stress Scale (SRSS) that measures recovery and stress across emotional, mental, physical, and overall dimensions using eight items before each testing session. They will also be asked to fill out a visual analogue scale (VAS) regarding subjective appetite sensations at the same time as every blood sample. Furthermore, skin and core body temperatures will be monitored throughout the experiment. At the end of each of the experimental visits, the participants will receive an ad libitum pasta meal to measure energy intake. The participants will be instructed to eat until they are comfortably full within 30 minutes. The amount of food consumed will be recorded to calculate the energy intake of each participant. Participants will also need to complete a questionnaire the 24 and 48 hours after each testing session to assess their level of delayed onset muscle soreness. Following the final testing session, participants will be invited to complete a belief questionnaire, aimed at gauging their perceived effectiveness of the recovery conditions they were subjected to.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Crossover
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
- Model description
- randomized crossover design, 12 participants (6 male and 6 female)
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| CWI_0 | Experimental | Other: immediate cold-water immersionimmediate cold-water immersion |
| CWI_3 | Experimental | Other: delayed cold-water immersion3 hour delayed cold water immersion |
| THERM | Active comparator | Other: immediate thermoneutral water immersionimmediate thermoneutral water immersion |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- To be eligible to participate in this study, a participant must meet all the following criteria:
- Healthy adult between 18 - 40 years (inclusive).
- Individual with a BMI between >18.5 and <30 kg/m2 (inclusive).
- Individual who is in good general health (no uncontrolled diseases or conditions).
- individual with a history of regular resistance training ≥2 per week for the past six-months.
Key exclusion criteria (22 listed)
- Individual who is lactating, pregnant or planning to become pregnant during the study.
- Females with irregular menstrual cycles (defined as outside 24-38 days cycle range, based on self-reports).
- Individual who adheres to a diet (e.g., vegan diet) that restricts consumption of dairy products.
- Has a known sensitivity, intolerability, or allergy to any of the study products or their excipients (i.e., lactose intolerant).
- Weight loss or gain > 3 kg in the 3 months prior to study visit 1.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| immediate cold-water immersionimmediate 10 minute water immersion in 10 degree Celsius | Other | CWI_0 |
| delayed cold-water immersion3 hour delayed 10 minute water immersion in 10 degree Celsius | Other | CWI_3 |
| immediate thermoneutral water immersionimmediate 10 minute water immersion in 35 degree Celsius | Other | THERM |
Primary outcome
Prolonged maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors peak force
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
The participant will be asked to perform one five-second maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors on an isometric dynamometer at a 60° angle of the knee joint. The force-time profile will be used to derive the peak force (Newton)
45 secondary outcomes
postprandial plasma total amino acid concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma glucose concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma insulin concentration incremental area-under-the-curve
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minute in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma total amino acid time to concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid time to concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid time to concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine time to concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma total amino acid concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine concentration maximum
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma total amino acid time tracking response
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma branched chain amino acid time tracking response
Time frame: 120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma essential amino acid time tracking response
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
postprandial plasma leucine time tracking response
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma glucose time tracking response
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial plasma insulin time tracking response
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial appetite sensation scores time tracking response
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Postprandial appetite sensation incremental-area-under-the-curve
Time frame: -120, 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Ad libitum food energy intake
Time frame: assessed 300 minutes after protein intake
Countermovement jump
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Intermitted Maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors peak force
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Maximal Leg Press Strength
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
recovery-stress state
Time frame: 2 hours prior to protein intake, immediately prior to protein intake, 5 hours post protein intake, 24 hours and 48 hours post training
Delayed onset muscle soreness
Time frame: reported 120 minutes prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake, and at 24 hours and 48 hours post testing.
Serum concentrations of systemic cytokines
Time frame: -120, 0, 30, 60, 120, 180, 240, 300 minutes in the post-prandial period
Time-course of heart rate
Time frame: Data will be reported during the resistance -90 to -30 minutes and during water immersion 0 minutes to 10 minutes or 180 minutes to 190 minutes
Time-course of skin temperature
Time frame: 0 to 5 hours post water immersion.
Core temperature
Time frame: 0 to 5 hours post water immersion
Incidence of adverse events
Time frame: 0-6 hours post water immersion
Prolonged maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors total work
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake
Prolonged maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors rate of force developpment
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake
Intermitted Maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensorsIntermitted Maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors rate of force development
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 60°/second peak torque
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 180°/second peak torque
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 240°/second peak torque
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Isokinetic testing of the knee extensors 60°/second total work
Time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing immediate cold-water immersion, delayed cold-water immersion and immediate thermoneutral water immersion in people with Sport Recovery and Aminoacidemia, run by McGill University at 1 site in Canada.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 22 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Canada. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Prolonged maximum voluntary isometric contraction of the knee extensors peak force (time frame: 120 minutes prior to water immersion, immediately prior to water immersion, 300 minutes post protein intake.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Jul 2026; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 6 Nov 2026.