Whole-Body Cryotherapy and Isokinetic Performance After Exercise-Induced Fatigue

This study was designed to investigate the effects of whole‐body cryotherapy (WBC) onrecovery and isokinetic muscle performance following exercise‐induced fatigue inphysically active healthy male university students. Exercise‐induced fatigue isassociated with reduced muscle force production, impaired performance, and increasedinjury risk. Various recovery strategies have been used to minimize these negativeeffects, and WBC has gained increasing attention in sports medicine because of itspotential physiological and neuromuscular recovery benefits.The study used a randomized within‐subject crossover design in which participantscompleted two recovery conditions, WBC and passive rest, on separate days following astandardized treadmill‐based fatigue protocol. During the WBC condition, participantswere exposed to a two‐stage cryogenic chamber consisting of an adaptation chamber at‐30°C followed by a main chamber at ‐85°C. Passive rest sessions were performed under thesame laboratory conditions without cryotherapy exposure.Primary outcome measures included isokinetic knee extension and flexion performanceassessed at angular velocities of 60°/s and 240°/s using an isokinetic dynamometer. Peaktorque and body mass‐normalized peak torque values were analyzed for both dominant andnon‐dominant lower extremities. Secondary outcome measures included systolic anddiastolic blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and perceived fatigue responsesmeasured throughout the recovery period.The aim of the study was to determine whether WBC provides superior recovery effectscompared with passive rest following running‐induced acute fatigue.