The low-temperature effect on sports regeneration

Abstract

Introduction: Intense physical activity and increased exercise significantly reduce the body's adaptive capacity, negatively affect the recovery processes of athletes, and can significantly impair athletic performance. Objective: To identify how low temperatures can affect the regenerative processes in athletes, assess the effectiveness and feasibility of cold therapy in sports, and identify the key parameters that determine the effectiveness of the stated recovery method. Methods: A systematic review of studies related to the use of cold therapy in sports guided by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, and reported through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The scientific material was selected by finding keywords and phrases, including “the effect of cold on athletes”, “athletes’ recovery”, “cold therapy”, etc. Following the selection criteria, only 30 studies were included. Results: Cold exposure has significant benefits for sports regeneration, including pain relief (100%), inflammation reduction (93%), and restoration of sprint capabilities (89%). However, its impact on muscle strength (33%), endurance (11%), and lactate reduction (8%) is more limited. It moderately improves the psycho-emotional state (65-75%). Conclusion: The use of low temperatures in sports has a beneficial effect on the recovery of sports performance for at least 24 hours after intense physical activity (training).