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INTRODUCTION: Hydrotherapy strategies such as cold, hot and contrast water immersion are used by athletes on completion of, and in preparation for, training and competition. The current study investigated the acute (<36 h) effects of post-exercise hydrotherapy on lower-body performance following a whole-body resistance exercise session. METHODS: Junior, international, male, volleyball athletes (n=15, 19.8 ± 3.7 y, 192.5 ± 11.8 cm, 80.2 ± 8.4 kg) were assessed for squat jump (SJ), counter-movement jump (CMJ) and isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) performance before and after a single whole-body resistance exercise and post-exercise hydrotherapy session. Athletes completed one of four 15min recovery strategies (control [CON]: passive seated rest at 23.7 ± 0.4°C; cold water immersion [CWI]: 14.8 ± 0.2°C; contrast water therapy [CWT]: 7 x 2 min, alternating hot 39.1 ± 0.5°C and cold 14.8 ± 0.2°C; and hot water immersion [HWI]: 39.1 ± 0.5°C), in a randomised crossover design, with >96 h between trials. SJ, CMJ and IMTP performance was assessed pre (-8 h) and at 0, 2, 4, 12 and 36 h post-resistance exercise. Mean percent change (%Δ) was calculated using a post-exercise (0 h) baseline. Jump height and vertical velocity was determined for SJ (SJ-HT%Δ and SJ-VEL%Δ) and CMJ (CMJ-HT%Δ and CMJ-VEL%Δ). Absolute (IMTP-PF%Δ) and relative (IMTP-relPF%Δ) peak force was determined for IMTP. Eccentric Utilization Ratio (EUR) and Dynamic Strength Index (DSI_SJ:IMTP and DSI_CMJ:IMTP) was calculated. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to analyse main and interaction effects with significance accepted at p<0.10. The magnitude of change is interpreted using partial eta squared (ƞ²) and Cohen d effect size statistics. RESULTS: No significant main interactions were observed for SJ and CMJ variables (SJ-HT%Δ: p=0.679, ƞ²=0.039; SJ-VEL%Δ: p=0.642, ƞ²=0.041; CMJ-HT%Δ: p=0.545, ƞ²=0.043; CMJ-VEL%Δ: p=0.527, ƞ²=0.045). A significant main interaction was observed for IMTP-relPF%Δ (p=0.095, ƞ²=0.086) with relative IMTP peak force significantly (p=0.09, d=0.41) lower 12 h post-exercise in CWI (367.0 ± 52.6 N.kg-1) vs HWI (388.4 ± 60.1 N.kg-1), however there was no significant main interaction in IMTP-PF%Δ (p=0.43, ƞ²=0.051). No significant main interactions were observed for EUR (p=0.777, ƞ²=0.03), DSI-SJ:IMTP (p=0.242, ƞ²=0.083) or DSI-CMJ:IMTP (p=0.224, ƞ²=0.065). DISCUSSION: Previous research is inconsistent on the application of CWI as a post-exercise recovery strategy, with negative and positive effects on subsequent muscular performance. This research suggests that hydrotherapy strategies such as CWI and CWT do not appear to substantially influence post-exercise changes in SJ, CMJ and IMTP for <36 h following a single bout of resistance exercise. However, HWI optimises maximum isometric strength when compared with CWI at 12 h post-resistance exercise. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Choice of hydrotherapy strategy may influence muscular contractions for up to 36 h post-exercise with small to medium interaction effects observed in dynamic strength indices. On days where multiple, same day resistance exercise bouts are performed, this data suggests that hydrotherapy would not be beneficial in between sessions. However, when resistance exercise is performed on subsequent days (~12 h apart), practitioners should prescribe post-exercise HWI to maximise isometric strength performance, while being cognisant of the effects that diurnal variation may have on muscular performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: Following resistance training the acute effects of cold water immersion (CWI), contrast water therapy (CWT) and hot water immersion (HWI) on performance and perceived muscle soreness are not well characterised. This study assessed the effects of an acute bout of hydrotherapy compared with passive seated rest for 15 min (CON) on recovery (<48h) after a single, whole-body resistance training session. METHODS: Male sub-elite volleyball players (n=19, 24.1±5.5y, 181.9±8.9m, 78.4±11.2kg) were assessed for perceived muscle soreness (DOMS) and countermovement jumps (CMJ) performance prior to and immediately following a resistance training session. Athletes completed one of four 15min hydrotherapy strategies (CWI: 15°C; CWT: 7x2min, alternating hot 38°C and cold; HWI: 38°C), in a randomised order with at least 96h between trials with DOMS and CMJ reassessed immediately (0), 2, 24 and 48h post-resistance training. Flight time to contraction time (FT:CT) and a modified Reactive Strength Index (RSImod) were calculated from each CMJ. Data are presented as mean percent (%) change x/÷ 90% confidence intervals (CI) factor with the magnitude interpreted using effect size (ES, partial eta squared) and a linear mixed model was used to analyse the main and interaction effects. RESULTS: Immediately post-intervention RSImod and FT:CT increased compared to baseline (<8.1% x/÷ 0.02, p=0.02, ES=0.35-0.46) in CON and small effects were observed for CWI and CWT (<7.7% x/÷ 0.06, ES=0.37-0.53). Performance decreased 2h post exercise in CWT and HWI conditions (-5% x/÷ 0.05, ES=0.20). During CON RSImod and FT:CT (8x/÷ 0.02, ES=0.31-0.36) were increased at 48h while other conditions returned to baseline. Large correlations were observed between FT:CT and RSImod across all time points (r=0.77-0.94); however, greater main effects were observed in FT:CT. No significant intervention x group interaction for FT:CT and RSImod was observed. DOMS increased in all conditions at 24 and 48h (p<0.03, ES=0.80-1.61) with the large effects observed in CWT and HWI (ES=1.40-1.61). DISCUSSION: Hydrotherapy does not appear to influence CMJ performance following a resistance training bout, but may substantially effect the perception of recovery. Although a large correlation was observed between jumping variables across time, an increased number of effects were observed for FT:CT. Suggesting, that in a semi-elite male habituated jumping cohort, FT:CT has a greater sensitivity to fatigue post-resistance training than RSImod. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: When monitoring neuromuscular fatigue using CMJ, FT:CT may provide a more sensitive measure. CON may be more effective for recovery post-resistance training at 48h than CWI, CWT and HWI on jumping performance. HWI and CWT may have detrimental effects on jump performance 2h post resistance-training and therefore, should be used with caution if prescribed as an intervention between successive training sessions performed on the same day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the application of video-based training with flotation tank recovery in basketball shooting. It examines the effectiveness of a week intervention using video-based training and flotation tank recovery which may offer an additional stimulus to improve the shooting in basketball on the three-point shooting performance of female basketball players. It notes that there is a little effect on three-point shooting performance using the video-based training and flotation recovery.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of 22 degrees C local muscle temperature of intact human plantar flexors performing fatiguing contractions on evoked and voluntary contractile properties before and after fatigue. Twelve subjects were tested on plantar flexor voluntary torque, percent muscle activation derived from twitch interpolation, integrated electromyographic (iEMG) activity, and evoked torque and temporal characteristics of maximal twitch and tetanic stimulations before fatigue and 1, 5, and 10 min after intermittent, high-intensity, isometric fatigue under both normothermic and hypothermic conditions. Hypothermic and normothermic changes between time points were analysed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. Normothermic fatigue induced small to large effects (Cohen's d: 0.29-3.06) on voluntary and evoked contractile properties, whereas most effects of unfatigued hypothermia were limited to rate-dependent processes (Cohen's d: 0.78-1.70). Most tetanic properties were potentiated 1 min after normothermic fatigue, but remained unchanged by hypothermic fatigue, resulting in significant differences between the two conditions. Soleus iEMG significantly declined 1 min after normothermic fatigue (-29%), but not after hypothermic fatigue. Twitch torque was potentiated by 29% one minute after fatigue while normothermic, but was potentiated by 46% while hypothermic; rate of twitch torque development and time to peak twitch were potentiated by 39% and 10% while normothermic, but 89% and 28% while hypothermic. Although voluntary contractile properties are generally impaired soon after normothermic fatigue, most were not after hypothermic fatigue. Furthermore, evoked contractile properties were generally higher 1 min after hypothermic fatigue. We conclude that the hypothermic condition slows the recovery of potentiated evoked contractile properties back to baseline values.